


Shattered

by KurotheDarkRingmaster



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Drama, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-08
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-03-06 18:23:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 245,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3144086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KurotheDarkRingmaster/pseuds/KurotheDarkRingmaster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the death of Admiral Forrest, Kate has taken a new role and decided to insure that his legacy continues. She enrolls in MACCO program and quickly excels. Only to find herself assigned to the last individual she imagined, Ambassador Soval. Secrets slowly come to light as she works to protect the rather reluctant Vulcan. Soval/OC, Suran, General Forrest</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Prologue: The Wind**

 

Humanity has always relied on a number of different forces over time to move them, the paths lain through the mountains and in the earth, the tides of the sea, and even the magnetic pull of the earth’s poles. Yet none of them has been more influential than the wind, with each gust she allows for change in not only physical course as the ship is forced to follow her influence, but the very course of history it’s self. The wind, a changing factor altering the very way a sailor leads his life, a variable altering the movement of planes and rockets, a driving mechanism spurring humanity ever forward as she brings new visitors and reunites old friends.

The wind swept through San Francisco only this wind wasn’t pleasant, it served as a harbinger for just what was to occur. Things had changed greatly in the once sparkling city, it’s silver and white buildings which had towered over the old streets, and stood proud against the captivating blue sky, had seemed to dim, as a solemn blanket seemed to smother the city. Just crossing the sky was a series of shuttles, all too familiar a sight for Star Fleet personnel, in a long succession carrying precious cargo. The stillness was startling as each of them touched down, a long parade of shuttle pods from not only _Enterprise_ but other star ships.

The wind seemed to chill every bone in their bodies as it swept through once again, causing the half mast flags to flicker softly, the only other sound in the space, besides the hum of the engines on each of the pods. Slowly each casket was lifted by a number of personnel; their pace was measured and dedicated as they carried the fallen to their finally resting place. Loved ones waited silently as each casket arrived, only when they heard the name announced did they allow themselves to cry.

Standing toward the top of the stairs of Star Fleet Command was perhaps the most solemn of sights, a young woman dressed in black, her long light blonde hair swept across her face as her blue eyes shown the pain she had been attempting to suppress, they glistened in the light. Her arms were wrapped around her chest in an attempt to keep herself from falling to pieces. Her thin form stood out starkly against the once bright silver buildings, a testament to the emotions that lay beneath her façade. Skin that had once been tanned now seemed ashen as the full force of loss enveloped her.

A total of 44 caskets had arrived, a long procession of soldiers returning home. Each had a familiar white flag with a blue and gold Starfleet emblem on it, a symbol of Earth’s first steps into the universe. One by one their names were called, ringing in the air with an air of finality, proof that life was short. The final shuttle landed quietly, it was marked NX-5 it was a shuttle from the USS Enterprise, the ship which had carried those who has passes from Vulcan home. Not a word was said as the door of the craft opened, “Admiral Maxwell Forrest,” was called, the name hanging in the air as though it were a knell, loud and lamenting.

The lone form waiting on the top of the stairs watch silently as the casket was carried out of the shuttle. It was then a commotion was heard, shouts off anger and loathing rang in the air as 6 unlikely men carried the Admiral. At the back stood a rather downtrodden doctor, dressed in black from head to foot, his joyous and gentle smile gone, as an agonizing expression replaced it. The Denobulans blue eyes seemed dim as he supported the weight of the one man he couldn’t save. His capable hands supported the right back corner.

Standing on the other side was a man who wasn’t as well known, one which few expected to ever see on Earth. His vibrant blue skin was less so, a gray tinge was ever present as his antenna seemed to dip downward. Commander Shran of the Imperial Guard from Andoria carried the casket with ease, despite his slightly hunched posture supported the left back corner.

Holding the middle of the casket were a duo that had brought the Admiral both joy and misery, as a familiar blonde Engineer from Mississippi, Commander Charles Tucker III, and a smaller but just as strong blonde Englishman, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed stood across, carrying the casket with dignity, as though it were their final mission for the fallen admiral.

Yet, it wasn’t the Andorian who had truly shocked the occupants of the square but least likely pair leading the way. Standing in front of Commander Shran was a tall dark haired man, his features were shadowed with grief as his posture screamed respect, Captain Jonathan Archer of the USS Enterprise, marching onward, carrying the body of his colleague and friend. The one who had been responsible for dragging him out of that dusty barn and to the testing sight to transform his father’s dream into reality.

Standing beside him, at the front was the figure that many perceived as always battling against human destiny. Silver hair became ruffled as the wind blew once more, his dark olive toned skin, with a touch of green to it seemed paler. There was a vivid green bruise on the side of his face, yet it didn’t take away from his general aura, in fact it added to it. He was dressed in black from head to food, his robes whispering as he moved, his hands wrapped around the casket cradling it as though it would shatter if jostled. The Vulcan Ambassador moved with grace, and despite his emotionless expression, it were as though the sadness radiated off him. Despite all that had happened on Vulcan, Ambassador Soval had returned to Earth, not only to pay his respects, but to insure that the fallen Admiral arrived safely.

This group of four very different species, three of which known to quarrel and disagree, had all managed to gather to pay respects to the one individual that seemed to believe in all of them. Never before had an Andoria, Vuclcan, Human and Denobulan been seen together, let alone carry a casket. Once they had finally walked to the center of the square, the silver casket was placed on a massive stone block. Each of the members standing at a corner of the casket pulled a corner of the flag. Reed and Trip took a step back from the casket as the four held the white flag over the silver casket, it did not waver as the wind swept through once more, they had pulled it taut to maintain respect for the man.

In the distance sounded a horn, it was deep and melancholy as the four slowly folded it in half, and then folded it once more, standing off to the side of the casket as they did so. It was a motion that had been known on earth for centuries, one that the Admiral had insisted they kept. Archer stepped aside supporting the middle of the flag, as Phlox shifted as well, their hands spaced evenly, allowing for Soval to begin the all too familiar fold. With ease the Ambassador folded the corner down, creating a triangle, and began to continue the motion, before allowing Archer to take over, and then Phlox.

It wasn’t until the end that Shran touched the flag, his fingers tentatively running over the crisp white fabric before holding it to Captain Archer, who nodded to each of them, before another flag was pulled and placed on the casket by a group of marines, a US flag draped over the casket before it was lifted from its post and carried to the waiting hearse.

Not until the black flitter was away from view did the occupants of the square begin to leave, their whispers echoed against the concrete and their heavy footsteps seem to drown out all else. Standing resolutely at the top of the steps, was the young blonde dressed in black, her blue eyes watered and cheeks were now streaked with tears, unable to contain them any longer. Her slender arms were wrapped around her middle in an attempt to keep herself from falling apart before the rest, just long enough to retreated into the shadows. The folded white flag was still resting in Captain Archer’s hands and she knew in that moment who it was for, she had known since she had received the news. After a breath, the Captain of the USS Enterprise turned and began to walk toward her, his dark blue dress uniform stood out starkly against the light gray pavement, his dark brown eyes never leaving her figure.

Flanking him was a young officer, dressed in what appeared to be black Vulcan robes. Sub-commander T’Pol, another individual who had impressed the late Admiral, she had been one of the fist Vulcans to work closely with humans and had made quite the impression. Her short light brown hair stayed in place as her dark brown eyes expressed a great deal of sorrow, despite her blank expression.

Walking beside Archer was Ambassador Soval, he was expressionless and seemed to be unfeeling, despite the situation. The green bruising was even more apparent as he drew nearer, so were the numerous cuts on his face, one slicing through his ear, leaving a dark green mark, marring his skin.

With each step they took, they grew closer to the young blonde who eyed them somberly. The pain which had blossomed in her chest now turned to agony as she watched the white flag grow ever closer. Her chest tightened, even breathing was becoming painful. The knowledge that no matter how she fought that she would never be able to see one of the fallen men and women again. They had been taken from them, long before their time. Blue eyes turned glassy as they gazed out at the trio unseeing.

It was then they came to a stop before her, their gaze never leaving her somber form. Captain Archer held out the flag, T’Pol was standing a step behind him and the Ambassador stood at Archer’s side, his dark gaze squarely on the flag in the Captain’s hands. “It was an honor to serve him, and he has done a great deal for not only our planet but others in the galaxy. He was the first man to drag me out of that barn and to this day I don’t regret it,” Archer stated, “He has done a great deal and all of Star Fleet grieves with you, Kathrine Forrest.”

The captain’s hands slowly extended to her, the white flag resting in them, “We give you this flag in recognition for the fallen admiral, we thank him for his service,” he stated. Kathrine’s hands shook as she slowly collected the flag from his waiting palms. Pale fingers wrapped around the flag as she finally grasped it. The white bundle of cloth felt heavier than ever, it was as though her father’s memory had been woven into it. Archer and T’Pol left quietly, it was then she assumed that the Ambassador had left as well. From what little she had heard of the Ambassador he never made a great deal of noise.

In that moment, her small fingers clutched the flag, and reality slammed into her. Her father was never coming home, he was never going to walk through the door of their home, he would never open his arms in invitation for an embrace, she would never hear his voice again. She was alone. Her mother had no interest in her, after they had split, due to her father’s constant desire to create the Federation of Planets, he didn’t spend as much time as he would have wanted to with her. Kate had supported him in the endeavor, after all it would bring peace to at least their galaxy if he could do this.

A large warm palm slipped on her shoulder, it was far warmer than any human’s skin, causing her to rapidly look up. Standing before her, with his hand on her shoulder was none other than the Vulcan Ambassador, his dark eyes filled with sadness. “All of Vulcan grieves with thee,” he stated, his voice oddly gentle. Tears fell freely as she looked up at the Ambassador, “I miss him,” she whispered, her vision becoming blurred causing the Vulcan to grip her shoulder. “As do I, but know this,” he said firmly, “no matter what happens, he will not be forgotten. He will live on through you, and Archer… perhaps even all of Star Fleet.” Kate’s vision blurred with tears as she nodded to the Ambassador, his warm hand seemed to be an anchor, holding her in place to prevent her from slipping away thanks to the chaotic emotions flowing through her.

Calm slowly wrapped around her, it was warm and strong, its presence in her mind startled her at first, “You will always remember him, and because of that he is never gone, he will always be with you,” the Vulcan Ambassador added as he gave her shoulder a little squeeze. Kate’s eyes fell on the flag in her palms, “My dad believed in an alliance between our worlds, I hope I live to see that day,” she said softly. The Vulcan Ambassador was oddly silent, yet she felt a hum of calm and another emotion she couldn’t identify run through her.

“I’m certain you will,” replied the Ambassador before he slowly lifted his hand, “If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call me at the Consulate, Suran will immediately transfer you to me,” he stated softly, his voice just above a whisper, as though he didn’t want the square to hear of him consoling a young girl. Then again Vulcan’s didn’t display emotions frequently and Kate figured it was out of respect for her father that he would even offer. She nodded softly as she looked up into a pair of warm dark eyes, “Thanks,” she replied softly.

The Ambassador nodded stiffly before turning on his heel and walking down the stairs, his aid waiting patiently for him as well as his security team. His long black robe bellowing as he walked, his head high despite the situation and in that moment Kate took a moment to watch his powerful form retreated. “I’m going to be stronger,” she whispered, “I won’t let Dad’s life have been lost in vain.” The young blonde tucked the flag under her arm and swiftly entered Starfleet, she knew of one way to insure that the Federation would occur, and it all started with her doing the one thing she never wanted to, she was going to commit herself to the goal of creating the Federation of Planets.

She despised violence, and honestly believed it did nothing but complicate things, however, in order for her to achieve her goal she would have to become one. The Ambassador was right, her father did live on through her, and she wasn’t about to allow his dreams to die with him. With ease the doors swung open as she strode purposefully into the building. Its occupants were silent and stared after her, the tears were gone and her eyes gained a gleam of determination as she strode with purpose down the cold hallways. “I won’t let you down dad,” she whispered as she passed a recently commissioned photo of him, a black ribbon was wrapped around the corner.


	2. Chapter 1: The Nomad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been 5 years since the funeral, and Kate has transformed from a softly spoken woman into quite the MACO. After a long mission serving as an escort to a delegation of Vulcan Physicians, she's back on Earth and given time for a much-deserved break, or at least that was the plan. Until Admiral Gardner, her father's replacement, stumbles across some unusual orders, now Kate's potential quiet day has been thrown to the wind as she gears up to become the protection detail of the last person she ever wanted to deal with.

**Chapter 1: The Nomad**

**\- FIVE YEARS LATER -**

 

Sitting on top of a large boulder was a grinning young woman with brown hair. Her blue eyes looked out over the mountain and she grinned. The sky was dark but she could feel it, the excitement of a new just beginning. She lifted her wrist to look at her watch, Yosemite was quiet as dawn approached, “5,” she whispered. Her voice echoed in the darkness, the silence was soon going to be split. She slipped off the massive rock and stood next to a bright Cobalt blue Yamazaki motorcycle. “4,” she said with a smirk, she swung her leg over the back of the bike. “3,” she counted as she slipped her yellow tinted driving glasses on. She could see the sun slowly slipping over the horizon, “2,” she shouted as she turned on the bike and throttled it. “1!” she cried, and in that moment the sun sparked the sky. Hues of gold and orange spread through it as though the sky had been set aflame.

Just over the peak she could see Half Dome and grinned wickedly as she jumped the bike over a rock and tore down the mountain side. She leaned into the bike as she felt the air whip over her. She leading the charge into the darkness, into the unknown as it’s fearless leader. She rode into the quickly receding shadow cast by the mountain. She could feel the vibration of the bike between her legs and felt a tingle travel up her spine as she jumped another large rock. The adrenaline was coursing through her veins as her heart pounded.

A cloud of dust followed her as she tore down the dirt path. Her eyes narrowed as she gazed through the yellow driving glasses, examining the trail before her as she deviated from the original and ventured into the unknown, as she wove between trees, rocks and bushes. She loved the feeling of freedom that she had come to associate with riding her bike. She shifted the bike again, causing it to surge forward even faster, she hadn’t felt a rush like this since she had gone sky diving as part of her training.

As a fallen tree came into her view she became even more daring, without hesitation she jumped the bike onto the massive tree and rode on top of it, her tires treading across its aged bark with ease and she felt the world fly by. A grin of pure joy curved her lips as she quickly jumped the bike off the massive roots. She clutched the handle bars harshly as she felt the bike leave the confines of earth and she did a quick flip. She forced the bike to somersault as she leaned forward, her eyes focused forward as any and all fear of crashing left her.

Her tires made contact with the hard soil beneath and in seconds she was screaming down the path, leaning into the turns as she did so. She had done this run occasionally, and decided that it was the perfect exercise after climbing Half Dome. Her bike bounded as she began to cross over an old bridge, it’s boards were un even and she looked at the old side rail that had begun to rot due to neglect. She hopped the bike onto an old hiking path that had been forgotten. Her tires bounced, and despite the shocks she had put on it, she could feel ever bump, not that she minded. As she ripped down an old wooden stairway her communicator chirped.

The young woman halted and pulled off to the side so she could answer it. Irritation making it’s self known on her once thrilled face. She huffed in frustration as she straddled the still motorcycle and fished out her communicator.

“Hello,” she said after a moment as she sat up and looked ahead of her. “Major Forrest, you are needed back at command, we have a new assignment for you,” said her XO. Major Forrest sighed, she was hoping for a little more time off, when she remembered that today was the day several Ambassadors would be returning to Earth after a rather long leave of absence. Of course she was needed; it was foolish for her to think otherwise.

“Yes, sir,” she replied quickly, “I’ll be there within the hour, I’m in Yosemite.” She heard no reply from the man as he hung up abruptly, “Bye then,” she grumbled as she slipped it back onto her belt. If there had been anything she learned in MACCO training it was that her CO wasn’t a nice guy and manners weren’t what they were known for. She was a soldier, not a princess, which oddly didn’t faze her.

Kate looked at the path before her as she rode down it toward the road, she knew she would have to return to her post eventually, she had just hoped it wouldn’t be quiet so soon. Serving others wasn’t an issue, but she just wished there were longer periods of time between taxing missions.

On her last assignment she had been tasked with protecting a delegation of doctors visiting a war ravaged planet, needless to say there was a great deal of chance that they would be either abducted, killed and a very high possibility of both occurring. The trip was filled with drama as wounded men and women were brought into the tents and doctors scrambled to save them. She could still smell the antiseptic and blood.

It was just by sheer dumb luck that one of the physicians had been abducted, a Vulcan named Yuris Strom. While the High Command wasn’t keen on her marching into enemy territory to retrieve the doctor, she had managed to get them to see reason that Strom was not only a member of the delegation but had been doing important research, and that this event would lead to his death did they relent. She had the delegation transported onto a nearby Star Fleet Ship, the Commodore and proceeded with the operation.

She had retrieved Strom, who was battered from interrogation techniques that had been used, and return relatively unharmed, aside from the minor injury due to a phaser hit to her back before managing to escape. She had been out for several days recovering, but had received the respect of the Vulcan High Command and that of the Delegation.

Kate leaned to the left as she took a corner and felt the tires grip it. Hugging the corner tightly she smoothly accelerated, ripping out of the corner and continued down the road. She never did like Speed Limits; she honestly considered them more of a suggestion than a limit.

The only thing that was nagging at her was that this assignment was coming out of nowhere, she was supposed to have a week between her previous assignment and the next one, and yet she had only received two days. There was something odd about this situation.

 

Star fleet was filled with a number of people hustling too and fro. Kate had grown accustomed to the sight, and didn’t see it as an issue. After Archer had left with Enterprise, to continue her mission, they had two years left, Star Fleet was scrambling to continue with the admiral’s dream. Her footsteps echoed against the floors as she continued the familiar trek to her XO’s office. Mumbled followed her, not that it was much of a surprise, she was the daughter of Admiral Forrest, and had become known for her daring behavior, quick thinking and dedication to missions.

She turned down another corridor and found herself standing outside the office of Admiral Gardner, he wasn’t like her father. Unlike her father who embraced the opinions of others and often allowed for advisement from not only Ambassadors but members of the fleet who had encounter situations, he simply liked the sound of his own voice. It irritated her to a certain degree, but she had learned to cast it off. Gardner had been a friend of her father’s and was practically family, at least according to himself he was.

Kate pushed open his office door and noticed him standing before her. “Hey kiddo,” greeted Gardner, his smile was sickly sweet and she knew she was in for it. He only used that pet name when he was desperate, or knew he was about to ask her to do something she had no interest in doing. She stood at attention and replied, “Admiral,” coolly. Gardner stiffened slightly and internally she smirked, she hated that pet name.

“This crossed my desk this morning,” he said as he held out a PADD to her, “Ambassador Soval is returning to his post after a stint on Vulcan.” Kate took the devise and opened it with interest, she had no idea what it had to do with her. She looked at the order and noticed the insignia on the paperwork was different than the one she had come to know. “Out of no where paper work stating that you were to be his security detail cropped up,” he said simply and shrugged, “The Ambassador lands at 1900.”

She jerked her head up and stared at him, the security detail of a delegation of physicians was one thing, but to provide security to an Ambassador was a whole different ball-game. Ambassadors had far more enemies and were often in more danger, there were dozens of people who would want to kill, capture and torture and Ambassador, let alone Ambassador Soval who was perhaps one of the most influential figures currently. 

“You have to be joking,” she stated sharply. Gardner shook his head and pointed at the PADD, “Nope, see for yourself,” he stated. It was then he seemed to remember something, “Oh yeah, I found this in your father’s old desk,” he said as he tossed something to her. Without flinching she caught the flying object deftly. It was key, a small brass one, and from what she could tell it wasn’t used often, it didn’t have a serial number of anything on it.

She flipped it over in her palm and looked at the teeth, it was familiar, her father had shown it to her once and said if something were to happen to him to use it. In all honesty she had forgotten about it. “What’s it to?” she asked dumbly, even though Gardner was close to her father there was something about him she didn’t like. The Admiral shrugged once again, “No clue.” Obviously that secret was safe.

She pocketed it and asked, “Is that all?”

Gardner nodded as he turned his attention to the monitor on his desk and then proceeded to waving her away. Another typical trait she began to put up with, most commanding officers were nice enough to say dismissed, but he waved her away as though she were an irritating child. Kate suppressed a huff as she left his office and headed home. What she needed was in the lockbox.  

 


	3. Chapter 2: Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been 5 years and after a long time away from Earth, Ambassador Soval is returning to the planet in hopes that he will be able to contribute to the Coalition of Planets and aid in forging the Federation of Planets. With a hint of excitement surrounding the Vulcan Ambassador, it has become quite the event as Vulcan returns to Earth. However, the planet he had left, isn't the same one he is returning to. A great deal has changed in 5 years, including the little girl of a dear friend.

Home is perhaps one of the most unusual words in any language. Unlike most nouns, such as sign or paper, this word has a wide variety of interpretations, which tend to vary depending on the individual. For some, home is an address in which they reside, while others it’s a bit more complicated. Home is a symbol of where an individual hails from and where they feel they belong. It is a wonder that regardless of the language the goal is always the same, to find the place where we belong, where out heart resides and the place we live, to call home.

It is this desire to find the place where we belong which spurs us to search to no end for a place to call ours. At least it is one of them.

The star ship was still, and just outside of a port side window was a familiar sight. In the darkness of space waited a planet, a sphere with bright blue oceans that dominated most of it’s surface. Clouds seemed to swirl in the planet’s atmosphere, wisps of white against the bright blue, hiding the land beneath. There were portions of vivid green and earthy brown visible that has somehow managed to peak out of the clouds.

Standing before the window was a rather tall individual draped in dark green and black robes, with a vine green tunic on underneath. The robes fell over his shoulders like water, flowing to the floor gracefully. Silver hair stood out against the blue and the white of the planet. His olive skin seemed darker than it had been the years ago he had returned to Earth. Five years, he had been gone for five years, and not heard a word from the Admiral’s family. He was shocked to learn that he was once again to be sent to Earth after his stint of time on Vulcan, attempting to clean up the mess the Embassy Bombing had made and working to create a stable alliance with the Andorians as well as the Cultural Revolution that took the planet by storm.

The reveal of the true writings of Surak had spurred an awakening, only this one wasn’t as violent as the first. Suddenly those who were hiding in the shadows of their culture due to what most had considered an abhorrent act, mind melding, had stepped to the forefront. All of Vulcan was swept in a fever as they attempted to discover just how much they had lost. Surak, their teacher had left them a guide to logic. Suddenly PADDs were seen in the hands of every Vulcan as they read the freshly translated text.

Rather than suppressing emotion, the goal was to understand emotion and there for move past falling pray to them. In reality it taught control and disciplin over their forces. Art, music, literature, and dance cropped up as the Vulcan people used them to display mental disciplines. No longer was playing the lyre something that was frowned upon, it was considered good form. Artists were crafting works reflecting various Vulcan ideals and re-imagining the already trite ways of art. Fabrics took new hues, rich and vivid colors, full of life and meaning as bolt after bolt was dyed. The city had erupted with waves of new ideas.

The culture he had grown in changed rapidly, adapting to this new text. Melding was common; suddenly masters were teaching not only children, but adults how to meld safely. He watched schools incorporated not only logic and science into curriculums but even cultural classes on other planets as well as their own. Languages were spreading as Vulcans scrambled to learn not only Surak, but other cultures. Even though not all were open to such ideas, the majority were pressing forward.

The capital city exploded with new ideas and reforms as Surak’s teachings allowed for a greater understanding of the Vulcan Puzzle. Trade increased as the Vulcan people seemed to board ships and venture into space with a new mission, to build alliances and encourage cultural exchange. Wealth began to flood the city as traders from across the galaxy became interested in their wealth once again, as well as their scientific expertise. Although little was allowed to be said about their history and other aspects of their culture, they were sharing Surak and that was certainly a start.

The figure drew a deep breathe, most of his time had been dedicated to remolding the Vulcan government, finding those suitable for posts and even adjusting the practice and use of offices. With the assistance of Minister Kuvak he was able to reconstruct the infrastructure enough in order for him to be sent abroad. As the Minister focused on the Vulcan people, he worked to negotiate treaties with former allies and species they desired to be allies with.

One of them was the Andorians; they had battled over planets, territories, trading policies, space boundaries, governing, operations and the like. Day after day they battled, agreed, investigated, deliberated, and battled again to craft treaties that satisfied both sides. In the end few had been drafted, but those which were, had been considerably large steps -for both species.

Dark brown eyes gazed at the planet, the scars from the blast had vanished, leaving his complexion clear, despite the irritation under his eyes due to a lack of sleep. “Ambassador Soval, we have arrived, there is a shuttle waiting in Bay 5 to take you to the surface,” a voice cracked through the comm. Soval turned his attention to the controls on the wall and quickly replied, “Acknowledged.” With one final glance he looked back at the planet he was about to return to. He had been the Vulcan Envoy to Earth for 27 years, 7 months, 2 days, 8 hours, 15 minutes and 32 seconds. He had been told by several colleagues that the Vulcan who was acting as the Ambassador for the past five years hadn’t made much headway with humans and many of them despised Vulcans thanks in part to his inability to communicate with them affectively.

Soval swiftly left the room, his hands at his sides as he strode purposefully down the golden hallways of the ship toward the shuttle bays. Humans were difficult, he had always seen them as such, and oddly found the trait endearing. For such a young species they had come a long way. In general most humans disliked Vulcans, he could still remember the reports of individuals calling them too cold and unfeeling to truly understand humanity.

Naturally, his people had interpolated it as naivety as they blamed the Vulcans for holding them back and even being too uninterested in humanity. Logically, they would have never sent a Vulcan to Earth if they were uninterested and in reality, Earth was perhaps one of the few worlds that his people saw a potential ally in. Humanity had made leaps in such short periods of time he swore that someone had lit a fire under them.

After passing through several decks the Ambassador arrived at Bay 5 to see his shuttle waiting, Sorak stood at attention, his hands folded before him and his dark eyes never leaving Soval. Sorak had been his aid for nearly 15 years, and had quickly become one of the few individuals he trusted. “Osu,” greeted Sorak with a slight nod. Soval looked at the man before him, he was dressed in the same robes as the first time they had arrived on Earth. It was strange how things seemed to be repeating. Only this time he wasn’t truly a stranger.

The pair slipped into the shuttle, Sorak quickly held out a PADD to him, “This arrived for you this morning,” he stated. Soval quickly turned it on, “I’m not even on the planet yet, and already they are sending data on trade and several inquires into our stance on a variety of issues,” he stated. He scrolled through the documents quickly, he had a feeling most of them would appear and had heard rumor on Vulcan that since Earth was facing more xenophobia that they would be working to try and get humanity and other species to interact more.

Soval paused when he came across a document, “Sorak, why is Starfleet assigning a body guard to us?” he asked. Star Fleet traditionally dealt with exploration, it had little to do with the security of Envoys or the Consulate Compounds. Sorak lifted a brow, “I was unaware we were assigned one,” he replied. Brown eyes fell on the PADD before him, staring back at him was an order, it looked old, since it was lacking an array of digits at the top of it and the emblem wasn’t the same.

“We have permission to leave the compartment,” said the pilot to the pair. Soval looked up at the young man as he hit several switches on the flight controls. “Bay doors opening,” he stated and Soval knew he was speaking with the bridge. Soval listened to the sound of the thrusters light and the signature whine of the doors opening. The shuttle was released from the bay and the pilot made easy work of flying down to earth, the approach was smooth and flawless.

Pilots were perhaps one of the most under spoken members of any crew, a good helmsman was always hard to find.

The shuttle slipped through the atmosphere with grace, and Soval turned his attention once more to the PADD, the name of the individual who had issued the order was missing, it was as though the final page was missing entirely, which was unusual. Typically Star Fleet would bombard him with every scrap of material they could, and yet on something so integral they had left out a page of the file.

The blue sky flew by as the shining city of San Francisco approached, and the signature orange color of the Golden Gate Bridge appeared on the horizon. He was going to meet this officer as soon as he arrived at the Consulate and decided that he would dismiss them then. He had no desire to have a human around the Consulate especially with the tension between aliens and humans.

The shuttle touched down gently, he was back on Earth and part of him wondered just how much Humanity had managed to change in such a short period once again. The doors of the shuttle lifted as he stepped out onto the platform, only to come face to face with several individuals dressed in camouflage, carrying weapons. Sorak followed him as they stood watching this group cautiously. He wasn’t typically supplied with a security team that appeared to be armed to the teeth.

“Ambassador Soval, I’m Corporal Hayes. I will be part of your escort team. Major Forrest will meet us at the Consulate,” stated a young man with large brown eyes and red hair. Soval nodded curtly and followed the team which seemed to surround him and Sorak. It was unusual to have this level of security on Earth, typically he was received by one or two guards not a full team of what he suspected to be MACCOs. The tension in the air was high as he looked at the jet black convoy, it was far more secure than the ones he had been accustomed to riding in.

With ease he was slipping into a flitter and they were slipping away from San Francisco to Sausalito. Traffic was light, a great deal lighter than it had been when he first arrived on Earth. The flitter slipped through the nearly empty streets and the Ambassador looked over at city, it was unusual to see so few out. His eyes narrowed as he gazed out the window, he hadn’t seen the city like this since the return of Admiral Forrest.

In reality it should have been buzzing since Enterprise had just been sent back to space, and was going to travel even further than before, under the influence of Captain Archer. Naturally, he had been invited to attend, but declined since he was dealing with the prospect of forging an economic alliance with another planet. The streets flew by in a rush, he passed the large structure of Starfleet Academy’s second location only for his eyes to widen at the sight before him.

The once crisp courtyard he had seen years ago was filled with protestors. Humans baring signs shouting angrily about the return of Ambassadors from other planets. As the convoy passed he noticed them turn their attention to him and stared in shock as they began shouting at him. These were not the people of Earth he knew. Rage burned deep in their eyes and their skin was tinged bright red, lips drawn back as shouts were directed at him. The sound of eggs smashing into the side of the flitter echoed. It seemed to reverberate in the small space even greater than their elevated voices. He could practically feel the fury radiate off them, it was intense and nearly took his breath away. “SHIT! They were supposed to have this section cleared,” seethed Corporal Hayes who was quick to get out his communicator and began shouting at the security teams on the campus. “This is Team Alpha Bravo Zulu, We need back up outside the Entrance to the South Courtyard!” shouted the Corporal over the chaos outside the convoy.

The Ambassador watched impassively as the protestors seemed to swarm the convoy, his gazed shifted to Sorak who had an eyebrow quirked, neither of them had heard of such violence on Earth recently. The crowd seemed to jump into the street and the pilot was forced to stop, “Lock it down,” hissed Hayes, “This is team Alpha Bravo Zulu, responsible for transporting the Vulcan Ambassador, we need assistance in the Southern Courtyard!” There wasn’t a response and the Ambassador watched as the Corpral was about to throw his communicator when another voice cracked through it, a stern and unwavering one.

“Corporal Hayes, I suggest you get the convoy moving,” commanded a unyielding voice. The Corporal turned white as he looked at the communicator, his eyes then flashed to the square, he looked rapidly for something. Soval was oddly intrigued by this, “We can’t, we are being blocked by protestors,” he stated. Now Soval realized that there was little that could be done. Even though the logical thing would be to attempt a negotiation, from how hostile these people had become, doing such a thing was going to be impossible.

 

His eyes fell on Hayes, who was handling the situation rather well, “Corporal, I’m going to detonate a stun charge. This will incapacitate them for 49 seconds. Once I do this you are going to move that convoy, or I’ll move it for you,” growled the voice, “Our objective is to get the Ambassador and his delegation to the Consulate, not to make him a martyr.” Hayes seemed even more confused, as did the rest of the MACCOs, apparently whoever was on the other end wasn’t supposed to be with them. “Yes, ma'am,” Hayes replied quickly and looked to the pilot. “Switch to long range thrusters, and be prepared,” he commanded.

Soval’s brown eyes shifted over the crowd and he watched as the protestors collapsed, the stun rapidly reducing them to a pile. Standing at the supposed epicenter was a figure dressed in a MACO uniform straddling a bright red motorcycle. “PUNCH IT!” shouted Hayes, “Let’s get to the bridge!” The flitter sped up even faster and rapidly broke from the crowd. The Vulcan Ambassador was silent as he closed his eyes; those weren’t the people of Earth he knew. Humans were emotional, and could be blinded by rage, but never before had he seen such a display of violence from the Human race so vividly before.

His eyes fell out the window and he noticed the MACO trailing them, the bright red motorcycle weaving expertly through the crowd as its owner navigated it with ease. Apparently traffic over the bridge hadn’t changed, as he watched the motorcyclist trail them, he was impressed that such a contraption could keep up with the flitter, it clearly had been modified to do so.

“Ambassador?” asked the Corporal, there was a hint of concern in his voice. Soval was disturbed by the event which had transpired and decided to meditate upon it. Now, however, was the time to concentrate on the task at hand, reaching the Consulate and meeting this new security guard. His gaze shifted to Corporal Hayes, “When did such an uproar begin?” he asked.

The Corporal was silent, “Why were we not informed of such tensions? What is Starfleet going to do?” Soval questioned, he wasn’t concerned for his safety as much as his staff. If they were threatened he wouldn’t hesitate to send them back to Vulcan. Hayes drew a deep breath and replied, “After the Xindi, only now it has been amplified. We are unsure of why or who has caused this. Starfleet is investigating.” Oddly Soval began to feel as though he were once again facing V’Las’ regime and his stranglehold he had on Vulcan. The amount of damage, which had been inflicted by the Vulcan made the clean up even harder.

He had battled individuals from all beliefs, those who were more free thinking to the traditional factions, only to be faced with more divisions. Eventually, he had asked Kuvak for aid as they began grooming T’Pau to take the position of Minister.

The crisp waters of the bay chopped away below them, the sky was alight with hues of pink and gold, with simmering oranges, causing the bridge to glow. The Ambassador’s gaze shifted out the window as he watched the sky set aflame by the setting sun. The Terran sky was almost always a transparent blue, and yet in the end of the day it could achieve such a hue. Vulcan’s red skies, while warm and familiar couldn’t seem to match the overwhelming beauty of a Terran sunset, not that he would tell anyone such a thing. It only soothed part of his nerves and made him wonder how a people with such a beautiful planet, and so much water, could possibly become so violent.

“Who is following us?” asked Sorak, shaking the Ambassador from his internal musings. He arched a brow at Sorak’s question, it was unlike him to speak out. One of the officers answered with ease, “You’re personal security guard, must have been picking up info on this mission.” To this the Ambassador quirked a brow, his guard was trailing them, and on a motorcycle, he wasn’t certain of how to interoperate such a turn in events. He had believed that the individual would be meeting him at the Consulate and not working as part of the detail.

The Officer seemed to pick up on his confusion and added, “The major was only supposed to meet us, but I’m happy she was in the square, I will see why the hell the guards weren’t at their stations later.” Soval nodded numbly, they had been given a Major, which was certainly higher ranked by the Corporal.

The rest of the ride was silent as he looked over the documents sent to him. It wasn’t until the flitter had slowed that he realized they had reached their destination. The Consulate towered over a majority of the other buildings in the area, its walls serving as a massive barrier keeping Humans out and providing sanctuary to Vulcans. The door opened as the security team stepped out, all of them falling into a line as Sorak slipped out before him.

Soval was the last to step out and noticed a young woman with long golden blonde hair standing at attention before the group. Her bright red motorcycle was propped up behind her and the black helmet she had been wearing, was resting on its handlebars. She was dressed in a standard MACO uniform and it was then he noted that the black jacket she had been wearing was also on the bike. It was a black leather one, with the Starfleet logo on the back.

The line of guards had saluted her and she looked at them. Her blue eyes were very familiar, it was odd, they reminded him of the endless blue skies of Earth. Her blonde hair was pulled back tightly behind her head in a twist of sorts which was retained by several pins, and she stood with the perfect posture of a soldier. She was dressed like the rest of the group but had several insignia stating her rank. “Ambassador Soval,” she said simply as she held up the _Ta’al_ , “We are honored by your service. Welcome back to Earth, sir.”

Dark eyes fell on the young woman, his brows lifted, he hadn’t expected her to greet him in such a formal way, or use their salute. She held out an envelope and PADD to him, “My orders,” she stated. Soval was even more confused, paper wasn’t something that was used anymore. Typically he was handed PADDs. His fingers slipped over the paper, it was thick and textured against his fingers. He could tell it was old due to the color, at one point, it must have been white, it now was ivory and the ink had faded a little. His eyes fell on his name, penned in a hand that was also familiar.

He swiftly opened the envelope and looked at the Major, “Corporal, your team is dismissed, I will take over from here,” she instructed. It was then he began scrolling through the pad, his fingers still clutching the envelope. Soval glanced at the envelope and noticed it was addressed to him in handwriting which he didn’t recognize; he determined then that he would open it once he finished with the digital document. His eyes shifted over the document before noticing the final page was once again missing. With a great deal of irritation, he opened the envelope and unfolded the paper.

Tucked before the full order was a note, which he began reading in an attempt to understand just what was occurring, only to feel as though he had been punched. He did know the handwriting, and he also knew the young woman before him. He fought to suppress a tidal wave of emotions which was about to slam into his carefully constructed barriers, sadness, anger, and agony.

In his hands, was the final order his late friend had ever issued, Admiral Forrest had assigned his own daughter to guard him. The order was permanent and there was no way he could battle it. The man, who had given his life to protect his, had assigned his daughter to the same fate. The same young woman he had met on the stairs of Star Fleet Head Quarters and watched tears roll down her cheeks. The shattered little girl he wanted to wrap his arms around and hold as she fell to pieces before him.

Gone was that child, before him stood a hardened soldier, her eyes latched on him observing him. She smelled of Kevlar, gunpowder and oil, nothing like the girl he met. Her hands were calloused from the life of a soldier. She had more than proved this in the square when she pulled a stun charge and essentially incapacitated the entire square before zipping after them. Her tone was harsh and cold, it was as though all the warmth, that had once been inside her had been drained. All that was left, was a well trained soldier.

“You are dismissed Major Forrest, while your service honors me, it isn’t required,” he stated harshly, his voice was stern and left no room for argument. There was silence in the courtyard; the rest of her team had yet to leave. “Ambassador this is not negotiable, these are my orders. I am to protect you and your delegation for as long as I am able to,” she stated sternly, “These are my orders, they were my father’s final orders. I’m not accustomed to shirking my duties, and neither are you.”

Soval was taken aback, not even women on Vulcan were this direct, “I will honor his memory by executing them to the best of my ability,” she stated, “Only if I am unable to fulfill my duty will I allow you to dismiss me.” She stood resolutely, her stance never wavering, despite his harsh gaze on the woman before him.

A soldier, she was a soldier, and clearly like her father had a sense of honor and loyalty that many lacked. She would have made her father proud, that much was certain. She was very much like him, especially with the snap in her tone, he could still remember it to this day. He looked at Sorak who was watching the exchange with interest. She was determined to fulfill her father’s wish, he would just have to figure out a way to make her quit.

“Very well, Sorak will give you my itinerary,” he stated as he looked to his aid briefly, “If you fail to meet my expectations or fail in your duties, know that I will not hesitate to dismiss you on the spot. Is that clear?” he asked. Major Forrest nodded and replied stiffly, “Yes, sir.”

In that moment, he felt as though he were sentencing her to death. Once more is logic was rattled, for yet another time he felt himself slipping into the depths of emotion. Oddly the memory of her father’s death combined with his final order disturbed him, and sadness washed over him.

He half expected her to walk away, only for a smirk to curve her lips and a gleam of confidence to appear in her eye, “I accept your conditions, and see this as a challenge,” she stated.

He swiftly stepped past her and strode into the Consulate; the warm air seemed to chase away the chill that had settled in his body after reading the order. He could hear her behind him and tell she was adamant on her decision, “You have accommodations in the Consulate?” he inquired, already knowing the answer but desiring to confirm that things were in place.

Major Forrest responded swiftly, “Yes, sir.” Sorak looked at him and whispered in Vulcan, _“Is there anything I may do?”_ Soval continued to walk toward his office, he had to deliver a message to the Minister and then would retire for the evening, “ _No, do not get used to her presence I intend to break her_ ,” he responded.

Out of the corner of his eye he watched Sorak turn to his desk and take a seat, Major Forrest took her post outside his door as he entered his office. It wasn’t until the door was closed did he feel grief ebb at his carefully constructed barriers. He locked the door and quietly made his way to his desk.

It didn’t take long to complete the report to the Minister, after all he was simply stating he had arrived and bringing up the documents he had read. Most of it was on taxation, trade and a request for an increase in medical knowledge as well as technological consultation. His dictation stopped when he reached the topic of Major Forrest. Suddenly the letter his late friend wrote weighted a ton in his inner pocket of his robes.

Deftly he fished it out and looked at the envelope, it had never been opened until that moment in the courtyard, and not even the Admiral’s daughter knew its contents. His dark eyes drifted back to the monitor; before he decided to leave the identity of the guard out of the message and simply state that he had been given a bodyguard by Starfleet.

Once the message was on its way he slipped the paper out of it’s envelope. Letters were a very personal thing on Earth, they symbolized trust and tradition, and they were also convenient because in an era of technology it was nearly impossible to obtain its contents without reading it. In a sense it flew under the radar, as many would say, and was more secure than a digital message. He unfolded the letter, the paper was rather thin and he could see the Admiral’s lose script that he had truly only seen on Christmas Cards – which to this day he still didn’t understand why the Admiral sent them knowing Christmas wasn’t a holiday he celebrated.

_Soval,_

_If you have received this note, then I have died and you’re just met my youngest daughter, Genevieve Forrest. She’s 28 years old, come this June, a grown up young woman compared to the little girl you met years ago at that Christmas Party. She’s a handful, believe me when I tell you she’s going to drive you insane –probably more than I did- but will always protect you. I know you are wondering how I know how old she will be when you get this, I’m afraid that is a bit more disturbing._

_I don’t believe I will be alive much longer and it takes five years to complete MACO training. If she is anything like me, she will have done that. For it is only by completing her training and falling under the command of my replacement that she has retrieved this letter from its hiding place._

_Things aren’t as they seem Soval. There are those who wish for us to fail. Those who desire Earth to remain absent from the Galactic community and would love nothing more than to watch all our work burn._

_If I didn’t have a chance to tell you then you are now learning this. I’m sorry for being unable to tell you in person, but Earth is not safe. In fact it’s the opposite, you are in danger._

_For the past few years there has been a group rising out of the shadows calling for blood purity, very similar to the Nazi party from World War 2, only far more extreme. I was working on an investigation into the possibility that the Ambassadors would be in direct danger on earth and if they had managed to infiltrate Starfleet._

_We know very little about them, considering each of the individuals we caught vanished and reappeared dead several days later. Those we had identified didn’t even exist in data terms; there wasn’t a scrap of information on them. Phantoms in the digital age, I didn’t think it was possible._

_The most we could get out of them was their message, humanity over all. If this isn’t taken care of not only will the Federation of Planets never occur, but it could become something even more dangerous. They might start attempting to purge other species, not only on Earth but from the Galaxy and perhaps even further. They aren’t opposed to violence and have no interest in diplomatic solutions. They will kill you if they get the chance._

_Be careful, and trust Ginie. Trust her instincts and skills. She will be one of the best officers in her year._

**_ Don’t send her away.  _ **

_She’s the only one I can trust with this assignment. You will always be one of my closest friends, and perhaps family, I don’t want to see you harmed. Ginie will probably be the only member of my family who will greet you with open arms._

_When the time comes, and if you must leave Earth, I have one request: take her with you. If she is found to be a supporter of you and if things grow out of control, she will be killed. If, and when that day comes, not only will she be your only protector. My little girl will protect you to all her ability, but I also want you to protect her. You’re the only one I can trust and the only one with the ability to ensure that when the time comes she will be safe._

_I assigned her to you so you can protect one another, and as well as I know her, I know you. Soval you are a wonderful man and I know you will dislike the notion of my assigning my kin to protect you. I also know that if there is any way for her to be safe in the storm that’s brewing, you will be her only protection._

_I pray my fears never become reality, in many ways I pray you never receive this letter and that it will stay in the footlocker in my basement. However, if my daughter is as good to her word -as I raised her to be- chances are, you have._

_I hope that at the end of all this you find happiness, even if it is a small swatch of it. I know Vulcans don’t embrace such emotions, but for me Soval, find the one thing that gives your life meaning. The one thing you could never live without._

_You have been alone far too long, you deserve happiness. It has been an honor knowing and working with you, and please remember despite our constant fights, you will always be my best friend._

_Peace and Long Life,_

_Max Forrest_

Soval stared at the letter; he could tell Max had taken a great deal of time to write it. It was informal, blunt and yet warm, despite the circumstance. He was a friend, not only did Max consider him a friend, but he was the Admiral’s best friend. After a moment, he placed the letter on the desk and shifted his gaze to the window, the sun had set, and night had taken over. After a moment of hesitation, he folded the letter and opened a drawer in his desk. Major Forrest would be allowed to read it later, he wanted her to settle in, and in many ways, didn’t want her to know why his father had assigned her to him.

Sitting in the bottom drawer was a silver tin that Max had given him, it had once been filled with different Earth teas as a welcoming gift. He slowly opened the tin and slipped the letter inside, amongst the stack of cards and letters from the Admiral and a few photos that had been taken along the way. It was unusual for a Vulcan to be sentimental, but after some thought and in the event of the Admiral’s death, he decided long ago he would make sure he kept them all to give his daughter when he saw the time as right.

He had a feeling she never saw the professional side of him, or their correspondence. It was true that they had told one another of their personal lives and in many ways they were the first example of a cross-species friendship.

He closed the silver tin and slipped it back into his desk, before locking the drawer. He would give her the entire tin later; she wasn’t ready for it now. As much as he disliked the idea of her being his guard and sacrificing herself for him, he couldn’t deny Max his final wish.

It was odd, never before had he contemplated that the one who was supposed to protect his life, could also be protected. Not once did the letter mention his wife or other children, it was only about the Major. The second part of the Admiral’s final wish baffled him, he couldn’t understand why Max wanted him to be happy. He didn’t think himself to be that miserable, lonely… perhaps but unhappy? No… at least he didn’t think he was… Soval huffed emotions were honestly too complicated and his were raging out of control.

In the few hours he had been on earth he had felt as though he had been shoved through every barrier he had ever constructed, breaking it to the ground before him. Seeing Ginie once again, walking into the consulate and reading a note from a man he had considered a very close friend had reduced them to rubble before him. He needed to meditate.

 

~vOv~

 

Ginie stood outside the Ambassador’s office, for years she worked toward her father’s dreams. Not only did she complete MACO training but she had gotten a degree from Berkley in Economics and Politics, which was what she had intended from the beginning, yet, now she stood stationed outside the Vulcan Ambassador’s door. She wanted to enter the political arena only for her to be assigned to guard the Ambassador, not that she didn’t respect it. Her father had his reasons, and she would honor his wishes. After all it was her father who had saved the Ambassador the first time and to even have the opportunity was an honor to do what her father had.

Her mind wandered back to the lockbox, there had been two things in it, just two. One of them was a note to her, it had been penned hastily, as though he were pressed for time and needed to hide the second article. It was simple, _“Protect Ambassador Soval. Your assignment to him is permanent, I know you will dislike it, but trust me it is necessary. I love you, and please know I will always watch over you, no matter how far I am, I will always love you.”_

At first she found the idea irrational, until she looked at the news and realized just how irrationally people were acting and realized perhaps her father wasn’t completely insane. Especially, after the incident in the square that afternoon, it wasn’t the first incident and she had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last. Over the past 72 hours, mankind seemed more restless and the security around the alien delegated was of an even greater concern.

He had his reasons, and whatever they had been it had driven him to assign his own flesh and blood to protecting the one Vulcan that a majority of humanity had grown to despise. 

Sorak was silent, which she had expected nothing less from the aid, he was a Vulcan after all. The Ambassador looked irritated as he skimmed the letter and she could tell he wasn’t pleased. In fact, whatever the letter had said she was certain the man would have shredded if it weren’t for the fact she was standing there. Even his ultimatum hurt her, it was as though he despised her existence, “He hates me,” she muttered.

“He doesn’t, Major. Hate is an emotion and we have no such use for those things,” stated Sorak, startling her from her inner monolog. Blue eyes shifted from the wall before her to the aid. Sorak had dark hair with streaks of silver in it, the only hint at his true age. His complexion was clear and not a scar was seen. His brown eyes were on her, they were lighter than Soval’s and seemed more expressive. “Osu would never allow himself to indulge in such an emotion. Are you related to the late Admiral?” he asked after a moment.

She nodded and replied, “He was my father.”

Sorak folded his hands before him and responded, “I grieve with thee, he was a wonderful man, and perhaps one of the greatest I had the opportunity to meet.” She nodded and watched as the aid slowly shifted in his seat, “I received a copy of your orders, not only are you here on the Campus but you are rooming in the privet compound, across from the Ambassador,” he stated as he looked up at her.

She nodded and replied, “I didn’t like the idea of rushing across the Embassy to reach him. A guard should be prepared to protect her charge at all times.” Sorak nodded as he closed the details. “He doesn’t believe you will survive, in fact, he has made it a goal to ensure you don’t. Are you sure you want to be so close to him? It will only make it easier,” Sorak stated.

Ginie nodded firmly, “Yes, it will take more than that to break me.” Sorak sighed as he began to finish the arrangements, she could tell he wasn’t going to argue but wasn’t enthusiastic about this idea either. In all honesty, she didn’t think about him attempting to break her but had a feeling that the Vulcan wasn’t going to make her life easy.

She shifted her gaze to Sorak and asked curiously, “Why are you helping me?” The aid blinked as he looked at her and replied sincerely, “Because a long time ago Osu attempted to do the same with me.” 


	4. Chapter 3: Irritation and Irrational Behavior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since Kate arrived, and ever so slowly Soval is driving her insane. After a major incident after a meeting with the Andorian Ambassador, that was not official in any documentation, she is suddenly thrust into a world of chaos. The question is if Kate will survive it, and will Soval learn to listen.

**Chapter 3: Irritation and Irrational Behavior**

There is something about the rain; the way it taps on the glass and bounds off the pavement, for every surface she strikes becomes clean, cleansed in an unusual way. The pavement which was once covered in dirt and garbage is washed clean, absolved of all sins which may have fallen upon it’s surface, tainting it. It fell down the glass, leaving streams in its wake before hitting the ground. The clean scent it leaves in it’s wake, forcing the stench of garbage and oil away.

The sound of shoes hitting the pavement and kicking up water echoed in the air as the distinct flap of an umbrella being opened followed it. Keen blue eyes looked out over the street’s searching for any detail which may be interoperated as dangerous. Tensions had been high and somehow, even in the barren street, which was now occupied by solely an Ambassadorial Convoy seemed to display such a note. It was as though the world had been tossed into the grips of chaos and tensions were escalating rapidly.

Slipping out of the black convoy were three robed figured, their dark brown robes seemed nearly black in the dim lights of the late afternoon. They hardly made a sound as the crossed the pavements, shielded from the rain by the massive umbrellas. It was as though the robes were part of the water which had fallen from the heavens above, flowing slightly, and cascading over the figures. The massive hoods provided anonymity and an air of mystery as the walked through the rain.

As they walked entered the lobby of the consulate, their shadow seemed to follow, always just a few steps behind the robed figure in the center, who’s head was slightly bent. Her blonde hair was slightly damp and a loose strand stuck to the side of her face. She was dressed in black from head to foot, her boots clicking against the floor as she moved. Her blonde hair was pinned behind her head in a twist. She looked around the lobby keenly before mumbling, “Any activity?”

She turned her attention once more to the three robed figures which were still crossing the foyer. “No, ground level is secure,” replied a clipped voice on the other end of the communicator. “Rodger, Forrest out,” she mumbled as she continued to shadow the three Vulcans. The four slipped into a silver turbo lift and in seconds it was rocketing upward toward the top floor. She maintained her position in front of the delegation, there was a slight mumbling of Vulcan beside her, she could hear the hushed tones of the Vulcan delegation.

Her hands rested at her sides, as she stood up straight, her posture was ideal for a soldier, and oddly every nerve in her body was tingling. Something about this entire venture felt off, it wasn’t just the fact that the Andorian’s had requested meeting in such a place, but the fact that they were instructed to leave all guards on the ground. She was playing the roll as an intrigued xenolinguist with an interest in learning how negotiations occurred. This meant she wasn’t armed with her usual phaser, but with a smaller and more compact version as well as a knife.

Despite her constant insistence on determining another meeting place. The argument had lasted several hours with the Head of Security, Kruss. The young Vulcan was adamant that the entire operation was handled his way. He had decided that she was incapable of knowing any protocol for security and bombarded her with books; he had demanded that she read them and know them as though they were fundamental laws.

Naturally, she had complied and read the protocols from cover to cover. She was errily reminded of her years at Berkley, those long and grueling hours in the early morning pouring over page after page of notes in economics as well as trade laws and cultural differences, fueled by coffee and Redbull. She had read the manuals, all 3700 pages of them, in a total of three days. Each day she worked and at night she would read. Oddly, it was in moments like those she was thankful for her photographic memory.

Kruss had taken it upon himself to test her. She had ended up taking his exam at least five times.

The first time she had sat at his desk, in one of his comfortable chairs leaning against his immaculate glass desk. Not a single personal object was scene and every single object had it’s place and was in it. Part of her wondered if he was OCD. She had completed it in half an hour and wrote in detail how specific protocols were to be executed. Kruss had swept past his desk to collect the PADD, he didn’t even look in her direction as he collected it. Kate simply shrugged and left his office, in search of Suran so that she would be able to complete what ever task the Ambassador had for her. Hours later he appeared before her table at lunch, PADD clutched in his hands with eyes narrowed. He was convinced she cheated and had her take the exam again.

The second time, he set her in front of Suran who was working on a few things for the Ambassador. She could still remember his arched brow as she was placed before him and Kruss had stated she was to not be left alone and was only allowed the data pad, with no internet connection, and Suran was not to aid her. Suran nodded but graced Kruss with a pair of arched brows, apparently this wasn’t normal and she had a feeling Suran wasn’t pleased with Kruss’ actions. Kate completed this slightly more difficult version of the exam in 45 minutes; he had decided to make it a little longer. Suran had been silent the entire time, his fingers moving over his PADD but she could tell from his movements that he wasn’t too amused with how her time was being utilized.

Kruss returned looking emotionless, however, she could tell from his stance that he was irate, especially the way he was holding the tablet. He was convinced that Suran had aided her and thus decided that she would take the exam in the company of T’Vok, who looked less than amused as the human was seating across from her. Immediately T’Vok’s nose wrinkled and Kate apologized, she had heard Vulcan women had a very sensitive sense of smell and was now given proof. She was looking over a series of documents and later Kate learned that she was in charge of scientific collaboration between Vulcan and Starfleet. While the Ambassador had the final say, her job was to report to him just how far they had managed to venture into space and their technological advancements. One of their biggest complains was a combination between Archer and a man named Stark, both of them caused trouble.

Kate completed the third edition of the exam in an hour, since he had given her a longer one and the essay was far more complex. As usual it was handed to Kruss, who was standing at the exit with a waiting palm, she bid him farewell and rushed off to speak with Suran to collect the Ambassador’s itinerary.

The very next morning she was practically intercepted by Kruss, he was hot on her heels insisting that she take the exam, but this time with a physical part. She didn’t even get a chance to tell the Ambassador who simply arched a brow as she was escorted to a training room to take the physical part, she was faced with another Vulcan. Not that she considered it fair, considering they were three times her strength, but she fought hard, resulting in oddly a draw. She learned later that the Vulcan was reluctant to spar and saw it as illogical. He was more concerned with her ability to assess a situation and act accordingly than attempting to maim him. Not that this action wasn’t important, but she was a MACO which meant she was highly trained and it would be impractical for her to be assigned to the Consulate if she wasn’t the best.

Once this was complete she was asked to sit and take version four of Kruss exam. Part of her wondered just when he had the time to make these exams; they were getting longer and more intricate. Kate completed this exam in an hour and a half, with a complete and detailed protocol of what she was to do if the Consulate was to come under attack what she was required to do. Kate could remember how ridiculous these questions were becoming and she quickly signed the bottom, once again T’Vok was her proctor.

Just outside the room, waiting once more with brown eyes filled with curiosity, and a spark of what she swore was malicious intent, was Kruss. As par usual she placed the PADD in his waiting palm. She then lazily saluted him with two fingers and spun on her heel before sashaying down the hallway. There was no point in getting irate with the Vulcan, he wasn’t going to change.

It was the final and fifth edition of the test Kruss was her proctor, Kate spent the day firing a phaser, hand to hand combat with four Vulcans and finally the magical fifth edition of the exam. She was honestly irritated with the amount of time she was wasting taking the longer and more elaborate tests. So this time she took the PADD and while standing in front of Soval and Kruss wrote two words, “React Accordingly,” before handing him the PADD.

The Head of Security was staring at her as though she had lost it, as she saluted him lazily with two fingers and slipped her hands into her pockets before sashaying down the hallway to see Suran.

Kruss turned to the Ambassador immediately; she could still remember how the silver haired Vulcan stared at Kruss as though he had officially lost it, his eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hair, resulting in Kruss launching into a rapid explanation in Vulcan. Kruss had deemed it necessary, while Soval considered it a waste of time and stated Kate was ready to work as his guard.

Of course she could remember just about anything she laid eyes on, which was how she had learned Vulcan and managed to ace each and every exam. However, it wasn’t this which had made her a Major.

 

Kate was pulled out of her musings when the lift stopped. The doors slid open and she stepped out quickly, scanning the area, searching for anyone who would be considered a threat. Once satisfied she moved aside to allow the Vulcans passage. It was then a pair of Andorian’s stepped out with their Ambassador close behind. His blue skin stood out starkly against the bright golden walls of the hotel’s décor. “Always on time,” mused the Andorian as the three Vulcan’s lowered their hoods. Ambassador Soval stood in the center of the group with Suran on his left and T’Vok on his right. “Naturally, shall we proceed,” as always this wasn’t a request it was a demand. The Andorian Ambassador nodded before he began to walk beside Soval. Kate quickly fell in step behind him, and she looked over to see and Andronia looking her over. His eyes glided over her form hungrily and mentally she rolled his eyes.

“Who is the human?” asked the Ambassador suddenly causing Soval to look at her and reply simply, “Major Forrest, she is my body guard, assigned by Starfleet. I am aware the papers say that she is a student studying linguistics, Starfleet decided on this.” Kate stared at the profile of the silver haired Vulcan, she knew Vulcan’s didn’t lie but she honestly didn’t think he would tell the Andorians. The blue skinned Ambassador laughed and looked at her before pointing his chin at the man at her side. “That’s Commander Shran, I’m certain you two are acquainted Ambassador, you know he’s not here for the purpose of learning negotiations, he’s security. I had heard rumor you had been given extra security but didn’t believe it until now,” he mused.

Ambassador Soval continued his path forward, his hands folded behind him as he practically glided across the floor. “It was fascinating,” he remarked before taking a seat at the table in the middle of the room, one half the room was filled with Andorians while the other half consisted of three Vulcans and herself. The Andorians quickly gestured to be seated, which Kate watched the Vulcan delegates do so with an air of elegance she was clearly not graced with.

The Andorian Ambassador looked at Soval as he picked up a PADD, “Now then, why have your people decided to discontinue trade with us?” he asked, not even bothering to open with small chat. Kate knew Soval wasn’t one for small chat but had no idea that most aliens weren’t, either that or they simply knew what to expect from the Vulcan. Soval folded his hands before him on the table and replied, “You’re people have been firing on Merchant convoys, in five months, eight days, four hours and fifty-three minutes, you’re armada is responsible for destroying fourteen Class 6 Merchant ships, and three Class 4s,” his tone was indifferent despite the issue they were discussing, “We consider it illogical to continue trade if you are no longer interested and continue to waste our resources.”

The Andorian Ambassador’s eyes narrowed and Kate could tell this was going to be a fire fight. Soval opened a file on his PADD and continued, “You’re also responsible for damaging another twenty ships, and harassing Merchant parties on the following…” before Soval had a chance to finish the Andorian Ambassador seemed to pale and held a hand up. Immediately resulting another arched eyebrow from the Ambassador, “These acts of hostility will be interoperated as an act of war, and many have already questioned your desire to trade with us,” he stated.

That was the greatest amount she had heard Soval speak and immediately knew she had the Andorian boxed in, “Your Merchant ships are armed,” he defended, “We do not entirely trust them, especially with the tension between us.” Soval’s stylus swept over the pad and rebutted, “I don’t know a single Class 6 armed with anything over a basic blaster, especially since many of them aren’t outfitted for longer distances.” Kate was silent, they were shooting on Merchant Ships which were unarmed, it wasn’t unusual for them to have basic weapons thanks to pirates and the Ferenguie who seemed to enterprise off of stealing from others. 

The Andorian growled and replied harshly, “You are accusing us of murder, we detected advanced weapons on those ships.” Soval brought up the schematics and flipped it around, “What advanced weapons?” he asked as he pulled up a larger image, allowing the Ambassador to paruse the Class 6 ships. The Ambassador glared at Soval and replied, “We detected advanced weapons. I have the scans.” Soval held his hand out for the PADD and collected it with ease as he looked at the readings.

Sovals tanned fingers swept over the screen as he curiously looked at the readings. Kate could tell from the silence that something was wrong, “Your sensors are malfunctioning, the only ones with advanced weapons are Class 4 ships, which had been sent to you months ahead of time with a complete list of all weapons, as the negotiations stipulated,” he stated sternly. Something was wrong and she watched as the Andorians began reaching for their hips. Kate glared at them and instinctively settled her hand near her phaser.

~vOv~

Dark eyes stared at the data before him on the PADD. The readings off of the Merchant ships were either very wrong, or something was occurring that violated the already delicate treaty he had drafted with the Andorians. Since V’Las had been dismissed, he didn’t believe that there were any Vulcan’s who were willing to go against the ruling of the new Government put in place, especially since the Vulcan people had been actively contributing to it. Soval swept his stylus over the data, the engine signature was identical to a Vulcan Merchant ship for that particular class.

All of the evidence was before him, however, after what had occurred with V’Las he learned to trust no one. It was difficult but the reality of it was that until he had rid Vulcan of V’Las adamant followers, he would be able to forge a stronger alliance. There was a moment where he questioned if it was an external force resulting in these readings, but determined the probability of such an occurrence was too small to actually matter.

Soval placed the PADD on the table, “It doesn’t appear that way according to these readings,” snapped the Andorian Ambassador. He felt a wave of irritation sweep through the room, he didn’t even have to touch them to feel it. “I understand, and we will investigate this, however, it doesn’t excuse the fact that you have been firing on our ships which are covered by the treaty as well as placing a higher tariff on those goods which do reach you than we agreed,” Soval stated.

There was silence in the room, once again he had caught them. “The tariffs were supported by our people, you desired to market goods without them,” stated the Andorian stiffly. Soval glared at them, “Yes, however, it was agreed that both planets that a general but low tariff was to be placed on each others goods, to encourage trade but not damage economic structure,” he stated. This alone affectively leveled them. However, Soval wanted to insure that they ran back to their government in defeat. It was only by completely defeating them that he would be able to move forward with policy. He needed time to investigate the readings, and possibly determine if somehow his stipulations for the negotiations weren’t being followed.

The Vulcan Ambassador glanced over to Suran who was typing away on his PADD, it was clear that he was beginning his investigation into the unusual readings. “Further more, it has come to our attention that the Andorians have been illegally setting up surveillance outposts in the Delta Quadrant. We have already dismantled all of our outposts,” he stated, “Several reports have crossed my desk stating that you have been setting up an illegal research station on one of the moons of Turin IV.” The Ambassador stiffened and Soval looked the man in the eye, he had him, “We would be more than happy to create a joint research group, however the region in which you have been settling is known for having a great deal of Dilithium Crystals approximately 3,000 meters bellow the surface.”

Soval watched at the Andorians began whispering rapidly, his sensitive ears picking up every word of the brutish language. “It is illegal to mine on a moon which has already been considered territory of another, especially a Vulcan territory, without the proper information,” he stated, knowing they understood his every word. The Andorian Ambassador whispered something to Shran and then stood abruptly, “We conclude this session,” before briskly walking out of the room, their boots storming across the floor violently.

T’Vok quirked a brow and watched them leave before saying in Vulcan, _“That_ _went well.”_ Her eyes were on the PADD before her as she continued to annotate something, it wasn’t unsual for her to be working on projects while he was in a meeting, _“I will send these to the Head of the Vulcan Science Academy, they will be able to do a more in-depth analysis,”_ she remarked before looking up at him. Soval nodded in acknowledgement and watched as they rose with him.

Kate was standing off to his side, she was tense, he was well aware it was in her job description to remain on guard at all times, however her tension was even higher now than it had been while they were in the room. She trailed after them as he left the room, “On the move, get the convoy in position,” he commanded smoothly. She took her position before him in the lift, he stared at her slender back and how the knot was intricate behind her head. It was dry now, he had noticed how the water droplets in passing looked as though they were due on a spider’s silk.

The turbo lift continued it’s journey, “Is the ground floor clear?” she asked. Soval turned his attention to the Major, she ignored this and continued, “Move the convoy to the back, I don’t want the press or protestors to get wind of this.” The press had learned their location and the protestors would only add to the tension between them. The Andorians didn’t contact the press, he was well aware of that, which meant someone in the hotel had done so. He noticed how serene Kate was as she handled the complication expertly.

She didn’t even flinch as she replied, “We will cut through Ball Room 4 and then into the kitchens, I want two teams ahead and two teams flanking. We will exit through the second dock.” Her plan was firm and he wondered if the plan was clean in planning, the kitchens had the potential to meet more enemies, not fewer. Kate seemed to notice his discomfort, her blue eyes shifted to him as she remarked, “The staff will be so swamped that it is highly unlikely that the kitchens will have an enemy in them, but with the two point teams, they will be able to flush out the threat.”

Her professionalism seemed to ring even louder in that moment, as she orchestrated the movement from one plan to another. The turbo lift stopped at the bottom floor and Kate quickly ushered them through the Ball room and toward the kitchen. Soval turned to see her with phaser in hand, her eyes were glued on what was before her as she continued searching the area. It was then Soval noticed flicker out of the corner of his eye, it was the flash from a camera.

Kate ignored this and whispered, “Keep moving,” her tone was sterner than he recognized and in those moments he could tell she was genuinely concerned for his safety. Soval complied with no question, oddly the Admiral’s words were ringing in his head, he had heard she would always keep him safe but wasn’t sure if it were true. Perhaps, she would, she seemed to be on his side. Yet, at the same time, with all the unrest he began to question just what her role was.

The kitchen was noisy and he heard several servers and cooks shout at them for entering. It smelled of spices, meats and various other cooking elements. The jostling of silver wear, and china hung in his ears. The searing heat of the flames in the cooking ranges warmed his skin as they dashed past them. He noticed the young men and women in coats glaring at him, shouting a number of profanities which he didn’t care to spend a great deal of time pondering. He could understand what was happening and had a feeling this escape route had been put in place with great haste.

Kate quickly stated, “The exit is in the back of the kitchen, there is a door which leads to the dumpsters,” her voice seemed to echo in the room despite the great number of chefs. He nodded as he rushed to keep up with the group before him, he was surprised that she had opted to stand behind him, only to realize she was likely guarding the sides which hadn’t been cleared during the hasty clearing. Her attention to detail was certainly worthy of praise, she may have been a Major but he still wasn’t sure how well she had been trained.

The group continued their rushed path through the kitchen, the space was cramped and the aisles weren’t designed to have so many people rushing through them at once. They were narrow and the metal benches provided a great deal of obstacle when it came to them moving in pairs. His dark eyes were plastered on the forms of Suran and T’Vok who had decided to move in front of him. The pair were silent and focused on simply getting out of the building and to the Consulate.

Soval was well acquainted with hasty exits, he had been sent as an Envoy on a number of assignments to locations far more hostile than Earth. It wasn’t unusual on some of these planets to be evacuated with haste due to a bomb threat. As a result these motions were practically second nature to him. There had been a number of occasions, approximately 78 of them where he had to make a quick exit to avoid being injured. It wasn’t that his teams were inadequate, it was the sheer fact that the situations had blossomed into something beyond their control.

The Ambassador made a quick turn to the left and it was then he felt something warm brush his back through his robes. A delicate scent of musk, mahogany, amber, and a few notes of a number of earth wild flours, it was as though he were stepping into the woods at twilight. The scent enveloped him and he felt a primitive urge fill him, his nostrils flared in response. “Ambassador,” called a voice, which effectively snapped him from his stupor. The Vulcan looked over his shoulder to find the source of the scent and warmth he had felt against his back. A pair of crystal clear sky blue eyes which were narrowed in concern were staring at him. Her blonde mane was falling free of its hair clip and her lightly tanned skin stood out in the harsh lights of the kitchen. Her figure was wrapped in the black suit, which was a radical change from her usual uniform.

“Sir, we have to keep moving,” she commanded. The Ambassador nodded and continued moving, he couldn’t believe he had allowed such a lapse in control, and made note to meditate on the incident. However, for now he would allow Major Forrest to do her job. The Vulcan continued to follow her commands, the closer they grew to the exit the deeper a chill set into his skin. The alley was dark and reeked of food which was clearly near the end of its life. He could smell the pungent odor and wrinkled his nose.

Major Forrest did a quick sweep, however, she didn’t even relax slightly, she seemed even tenser. “Ambassador I need you to get in the convoy,” she stated harshly, her voice tight but professional. The alley was silent, as his dark brown eyes sifted over the scene before him. Kate spent little time inquiring about their transport. “Get in,” she said rapidly.

Suran and T’Vok were the ones to do so first, all the while he looked at the end of the hallway to see several people watching. Several people grew quickly and he found himself wondering just what these people desired. There was a bright flash, disorienting him for a moment, until he noticed the photographers at a number of visitors take a photo with him.

It wasn’t until he felt himself being pushed into the convoy rather brutishly that he was jolted out of his confusion. The sound of a phaser being discharged in the dark and dank alley echoed in the silence. Immediately he looked over his shoulder to see just what had transpired. His knees were protesting from the harsh shove into the convoy, the floor was rather unforgiving. It didn’t take much for him to block this pain and attempt to discern what had occurred. Standing where he had been was Kate, her stance was ridged as she jumped into the convoy.

Without hesitation the young blonde jumped into the convoy, causing her to land harshly on her side. Her phaser still pointed out the door, “Drive,” she commanded, causing the pilot to jump into action. She hadn’t even spared the pilot a glance. Her black clad body was sprawled across the glistening silver floor of the flitter. It was the he could see a light crusting of dirt on the bottoms of her slacks and shoes from walking in the rain. She had fallen in a position which allowed for him to protect them and fire her phaser accurately, something he wondered if she was trained to do.

The door of the flitter latched closed and he heard the pilot reply, “Yes, Major,” before taking off out of the alley. He had never seen his pilot so ready to comply with the commands of a human. Yet, with the Major he had dropped everything and complied, as though she were the one who had hired him and was his commanding officer. In reality she was ranked higher, she did handle his personal security, however, he had anticipated more protest. The sound of the engines humming seemed to chase away all other sounds, as the occupants fell into a tense silence, far worse than any he had encountered in the hotel.

Soval took a moment to examine Suran, who was sitting calmly off to his left, and T’Vok, who seemed interested in her PADD. Suran’s hair was slightly ruffled and his robes seemed to be a little wrinkled but otherwise he was unaffected. T’Vok was a picture of Vulcan Logic, not only was she calm but it was as though the entire series of events hadn’t even transpired.

His dark eyes fell on the Major, no longer was she on the floor, she was sitting before him. Her posture was so straight, it was to the point of discomfort, he was certain that she was in pain. Knowing how hard she had hit the floor he first theorized it was from jumping into the flitter and hitting the floor.

 Soval knew just how fragile Humans were, especially after the time he had seen Kate sporting a few bruises as a child from falling off a bike. It had occurred during one of his few visits to the Forrest abode to play chess with Max. Kate had stumbled into the house with a raw knee and bruises on her hands. He could see the crimson ribbons slipping down her leg, staining her white socks. Max leapt out of his seat in panic and immediately called for Abigail. He could still remember the haste they had made to patch their daughter up, who all the while was looking up at the ceiling, not a tear had been shed. Even after being patched up did Kate decide to get up and ride her bike again, despite her father’s numerous warnings.

One of her small light hands gripped her bicep and she hissed with discomfort. Soval watched her keenly as small red ribbons slipped between her pale fingers, her knuckles turned white as she gripped her arm even harder. The smell of iron filled his nostrils as he looked at the young woman who remained professional despite the injury. “Major?” he asked after a moment, he noticed she was getting a little pale.

Kate looked up at him inquisitively, “You are bleeding, when we reach the compound go to the infirmary,” he said without hesitation. The young woman shook her head, “No, not until you are in your Privet Residence,” she argued, her tone was unyielding. She was honestly going to refuse treatment until he was safe, “Major Forrest, I will be safe in the walls of the compound, there is no need for you to escort me back to the Privet Residence,” he replied. She shook her head vermilliantly, clearly she wasn’t going to budge. “Protocol stipulates that after an incursion you are to return to the Privet Residence before the staff is debriefed,” she stated sternly.

Soval taken aback, Kate hadn’t seemed like the type to embrace protocol, however now she seemed more than interested in doing so. He felt his irritation blossom in his chest before replying, “That is standard protocol when the team is uninjured, you are to go to the infirmiry and have your arm examined. Once that is done we will debrief the privet staff.” Her sky blue eyes narrowed and before she even had a chance to argue Suran added, “Young T’Sai, you can’t protect us when you yourself are injured, we will be safe in the compound.”

Suran always seemed to know just what to say to Kate he noticed as she seemed to relax and her chin fell. Now why he was unable to produce the same result he was uncertain. She was willing to listen to the gentle goading of Suran but not to him, the man who was supposed to be her superior. It confounded him. “Suran, your security is a priority, I will tend to my wound once you are inside the Privet Residence so I am able to contact Starfleet and report the incident. Unless you would like to be fired upon in the future by an unnamed gunman,” she replied.

She was slipping her phaser into it’s holster before continuing, “I know what he looks like, I need a facial ID made from a sketch I will create, the only ones with those resources are Starfleet,” she countered, “After all the shooter was human and not an off-worlder.” Kate was placing her professional requirements before her health, which may have been admirable, but it wasn’t necessary. She was just as important to his delegation as T’Vok and Suran.

There was a determined gleam in her eyes, and just then he understood what was occurring, it was in response from his threat to dismiss her if she didn’t fulfill her duties to the fullest capacity. “Very well Major,” he replied.

It was then he understood why he had been pushed to the earth in the first place, Kate held the answers and never even realized. _“She had quite a great deal to learn,”_ mumbled Suran. It was true, her dedication to a task was certainly admirable, but shouldn’t replace her duty to ensuring that she is healthy to serve.

Soval gazed out the window, noting his great need to meditate in an attempt to understand the events of that evening.

 

The walk back to the Consolate was silent as Major Forrest executed her duties. Just when they had met inside the Privet Residence did he immediately speak with each of them and begin the report. After learning of the tensions on earth the Vulcan council required reports on these incidents. It was rather inconvenient but necessary, the sooner the report was filed the better. Suran and T’Vok wrote out their accounts in their rooms, leaving him with Major Forrest. She was still in the black ensemble; her blonde hair was falling free from the large number of pins. She had taken a seat before his desk and he noticed that her arm was still bleeding. Soval sighed internally, she was certainly stubborn.

He rose from his seat and watched as she mirrored him out of respect and training. “Come with me,” he commanded as he began walking out of the room. He could practically feel the daggers she was shooting with her eyes at him. “Ambassador, where are we going?” she inquired, he quickly made a turn down another hallway and she recognized the root instantly. “To the infirmary, your injuries need treatment,” he stated.

He made another left and listened to Kate huff, “I can take care of it after the debriefing,” she stated. Of course she was arguing such a thing, she was as stubborn as Max in this matter. Max was the kind of man who put himself last. In reality he couldn’t criticize or judge, after all it was the fundamental of Vulcan philosophy to place the need of others first. “Of course, however, it would be unwise to put it off and risk infection. We can do the debriefing once you have been treated,” he replied.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Kate was walking by his side, her posture was perfect however her arms were crossed, “Yes, which was why I was going to seek treatment later.” Soval turned his head and noticed the scowl which had settled on her face, clearly she was less than amused with this notion. “I see, however, how am I to be certain that you are able to recall the details accurately when your pain is distracting you,” he stated, his irritation was beginning to bubble once more.

He didn’t understand it but somehow she had caused his control to slip. “Fine,” she replied harshly, she was petulant like a child in that moment. Soval was silent as they walked through a pair of sliding glass doors and into the tan infirmary. The scent of antiseptic filled his nose, immediately a pair of doctors appeared. “Osu, what can we do for you?” asked the elder of the pair. He noticed how the pair were immediately searching for injuries or signs of ailment.

Soval gestured to Kate and stated, “Major Forrest was injsured in the fire fight in the alley this evening.” The pair turned their attention to the young woman and in moments they had tricorders in hand, “It is a slight burn, please have a seat on the bio-bed Major,” asked one of the doctors. Kate complied and he watched as she shed her blazer and then began unbuttoning her black dress shirt. He was going to turn away when he also noticed she was wearing a tank top under her clothing. It clung to her like a second skin and it was only when the clothes were pealed away that he realized the amount of damage the shot had caused.

His eyes fell on raw and tender flesh of her arm, it was inflamed and the blood which seeped from it ran down her arm. She looked even paler than before in the clinical lighting and he had a feeling she had sustained more damage than she had lead on. “Lie back Major,” instructed Dr. Stron. She gladly fell back on the bed, and he watched as the wound was cleaned. “What can you tell me of the event Major?” asked Soval as he took a seat near her head. He watched her expression contort with pain and decided that by conducting the review now, that he would be able to distract her long enough.

“At 2200 this evening Ambassador Soval and Ambassador Krim were meeting to discuss several incidents. At 2300 the Ambassador and his delegation were to return to the compound, however the press were somehow informed that they were present,” she stated, Soval watched her face twist as Stron applied a strong antiseptic, he had heard it caused humans discomfort but wasn’t anticipating such a great deal of it. “Continue, Major. What transpired next?” he asked.

Kate hissed and continued, “I changed the exit strategy to south exit through the kitchens at dock 2. It was the safest possible route, the delegates were moved from the top floor and through the building to and from there the ballroom, the kitchens and finally into the back alley, as agreed as an emergency exit strategy,” she paused and Soval was confused until he noticed her complexion becoming even paler. Stron had vanished and was returning with an IV and bag of fluids. Strong was quick to give her the bag and nodded for Soval to continue.

“Major,” he said once more. Kate opened her eyes and continued, “The convoys arrived however there was an increase of activity around the building, however I noticed movement and drew my phaser,” she paused to draw a breathe before continuing, “I pushed the Ambassador into the convoy after seeing a man who wasn’t part of the security detail I had ordered to clear the alley. He was in his late thirties, six foot two inches, had dark brown hair that was thinning and a receeding hairline. His eyes were brown and his skin was lightly tanned, there was a mole under his left eye and a scar splitting his cupid’s bow in two, it ran from his nose to his lips.”

“The assailant let off a shot, which I dodged and made sure the Ambassador was secure before returning fire, I shot twice, both for the chest. He dodged the first but was hit with the second,” she stated, “I proceeded to jump into the convoy and commanded that we leave the premises. Once the convoy was on the move we took the fastest route to the consulate.” She had remembered every detail of their attacker with ease and now what was left was to finish the report.

Kate looked him square in the eye and said confidently, “1 injury, no fatalities. The Injury was a flesh wound from a Phaser shot taken by myself.” In a number of ways the entire ordeal could have ended far worse, yet it didn’t. She had managed to get everyone out of the area safely without strain or any unnecessary injuries. He quickly turned the recording off and endorsed it before sending it to Council for review.

His eyes fell on Kate who was gaining more color and he looked over to see her arm had been regenerated by Stron who was now noting his PADD. “Use an unscented moisturizer on the regenerated skin, gently message it into the area. It’s going to be susceptible to drying out and may become irritated,” Stron stated. Kate nodded in reply before he hurried off to his office. Soval noticed how she slowly rose from the bio-bed. He easily got up and looked at her, “Rest.”

He heard a rustle behind him and noticed she was slipping back into her dress shirt, “We should increase the security around the parameter as well as when you leave the compound,” she advised. Soval paused and turned to face her. He had a feeling she would suggest something, however she had to realize that an increase in security didn’t mean the area was secure. It was in reality about how well the line was being held and their ability to detect threats as well as Star Fleet intervening in the rising actions.

Soval looked at her critically, “Our concern is currently preventing an inter galactic incident. We need to make sure it was just our delegation and not the Andorians. Also I do not wish to create tensions between the two species, let alone how Vulcan will react to this incident,” he stated. Kate grit her teeth and reiterated, “Hence the need to increase security around the compound.” The Ambassador clasped his hands behind his back, “I will speak with Kruss, however, I assure you that the current level of security at this facility is far greater than any other on Earth,” he stated.

Kate didn’t look convinced, in fact she looked even more irate. Soval ignored her and stated, “Rest, and get that sketch to Star fleet as soon as possible,” as he left the infirmary. She was acting like a child once again. One moment she was acting like the professional he knew she was and the next she was acting like a child, it irritated him. She was 28 in earth standard years and yet, there she was arguing with him over security. It was irrational and illogical, yet, he still desired to understand her view.

Soval sighed, something he hoped he wouldn’t do as frequently as he had been that day, and continued toward his office. He had his own report to write and to deal with a probably panicked Kuvak, which wasn’t really a stretch from the norm.

Once this was finished he planned to sit for a very long meditation and ponder all of the emotions and events of the day. Part of him wondered if his meditations would become increasingly longer thanks to the Major.

~vOv~

Kate slipped off her black jacket and peeled away her tee shirt. The air was warm in the gym. Her bare skin was already sticky thanks to the high temperature. The skin on her right arm was still a little tender, it was freshly regenerated and she could still remember the expression on the doctor’s face as she sat on his bench. Apparently he had forgotten that she was human. The wound was a slight burn from the phaser beam which hit her, clearly it was set to kill since it seared the skin. She was lucky it had grazed her arm and that the damage was slight. It wasn’t the treatment though; it was how the Ambassador affectively dismissed her after she had recounted her version of the events. He hadn’t even allowed for her to stay for his meeting with the Vulcan Council.

She tossed both items to an empty bench, where she had placed her bag. After a moment she slipped her fingers into a pair of fingerless boxing gloves and stood before a punching bag. Her blue eyes narrowed as she shifted in her black martial arts shoes, she rolled her shoulders as she did so. Her black sweat pants hung at her hips as she began warm up. Like a cat she stretched her limbs, her mind venturing else where.

Again Ambassador Soval refused to listen to her suggestion to increase security after the incident of that day she had stated that an increase was only logical. Things were growing tense and she just wanted to do her job, especially after the events of that day. A shooter in an alley which was supposed to be cleared by the first two teams was unseen. She had questioned all of them only to learn he hadn’t been detected.

Kate eyed the bag with irritation, she would never strike the Ambassador, but that didn’t mean she could take her frustration out on the bag. “Fuck this,” she growled as she struck the bag, her hands moving rapidly as she leaned toward it, the sound of her fists pounding into it echoed in her ears. Again and again he dismissed her; with each punch she threw she could hear his emotionless voice. She twisted on the ball of her foot, kicking the air and delivering a harsh kick to the bag, it swung in response before she rounded on it and attacked once more.

A bead of sweat slipped from her brow to her neck. Golden blonde hair swung in it’s ponytail as her fists made contact with the bag. Her anger swelled as she twisted around again, working the bag from every angle. Her fists pounded into the bright red bag, the sound echoes through the room, drowning out her pants and growls. The bag swung loudly as she pushed harder and harder. Vulcans had control over their emotions, she didn’t want control over those, she wanted control over the situation.

The Ambassador wasn’t even listening to her. She was trying to do everything she could and didn’t even go to the gym she was a member of; she used the Embassy’s facilities. Her goal was simple, protect the Ambassador and insure the creation of the Federation of Planets.

The warm room seemed even hotter as she pushed herself, strike after strike she felt her mind clear. She needed control and if it meant beating a bag that was what she would do. She growled as she kicked the bag with the opposite leg, another series of punches later and she drew back, her arms limp at her sides and her head tossed back. “I need control,” she hissed. She had it when she became a MACO they had given her the tools to tame her life and yet with the Ambassador it was impossible.

She rounded on the bag once more striking it with a great deal more force than she had intended. “Impressive,” remarked a voice from the other side of the room. Standing in the doorway was Suran, he was wearing a pair of exercise pants and a tee shirt. She sighed, she couldn’t be agitated with him, Suran had warned her of Soval’s intentions. His eyes skimmed over her and they darkened, “Young T’Sai you might desire to find more appropriate attire,” he remarked. Kate was confused briefly until she remembered that she was standing in only a sports bra and black sweat pants. “Sorry,” she squeaked before slipping her tank top on.

Suran entered the room and slipped onto an exercise bike, it was on odd sight but then she realized that all of the equipment was probably selected by Vulcans. Part of her wondered who had selected the punching bag, it wasn’t something a passive Vulcan would own. “I can adjust the thermostat if you like, humans are used to working in cooler conditions,” he remarked. Kate shook her head, she liked being able to work up a sweat.

“No, I’m okay,” she stated as she walked to her bag and took a sip of water. Suran began to pedal and replied, “Clearly you are not, the bag wouldn’t be swinging so violently if you were.” Kate sighed as she grabbed a white towel and wiped her face. Of course he could see through her, Vulcans were incredible at reading humans, especially when it came to emotions.

She put her hands on her hips and looked at Suran, “He won’t listen,” she stated harshly. Suran’s eye brows lifted momentarily before he asked, “Osu?” Kate nodded as she sat on the bench where her bag was sitting, she could still hear the pedals on the stationary bike turning. She bowed her head, he was getting to her, and that in it’s self was unacceptable. She was trained to push that notion away and focus on protection and yet, yet he managed to get under her skin. “Yes, he isn’t listening, honestly you’d think he wanted to be a target,” she stated harshly.

Her eyes fell on the floor beneath her shoes, “Osu desires to continue serving his people. He is in a difficult position,” he stated. Kate’s head shot up, “He is? As if I hadn’t noticed. He should remember that he isn’t of much service to the Vulcan people if he’s dead.” Suran was quiet and some where along the line the pedals had stopped turning. She looked up to see a rather calm Vulcan standing before her.

“Rise,” he said sternly, his voice bore an edge and Kate instantly obeyed. Suran’s dark eyes examined her, “Have you ever tried meditation?” he asked. The blonde looked at him as though he were insane and then huffed, “No, I want control of the situation, not emotions.” Suran smiled a little as he shook his head, the corners of his lips curled slightly. The elder Vulcan bent at the knees before her and said softly, “Young T’Sai those are one in the same.”

Kate stared at him incredulously, emotions weren’t the part of controlling a situation, she had been taught about planning and maneuvering a group not emotions. “What?” she asked dumbly, she couldn’t help it. It made sense to keep her emotions in check when there was danger but not to do so in everyday activity. Her blue eyes looked up at the pale skinned older Vulcan, his dark eyes seemed to glitter slightly at her question.

Suran folded his hands before him, “Control is gained through not only the body but the mind. In a disciplined mind, like the Ambassador’s it is possible to see all possible moves and shift them so that the game becomes yours,” he stated. Kate lifted a brow, she didn’t think emotions clouded judgment as much as he was suggesting, “We are not unfeeling, we have very powerful emotions, in fact, Ambassador Soval has the most powerful emotions I have witness in a long time,” he stated. The young blonde stared in confusion, Vulcans didn’t express emotions like humans, at least they didn’t appear to.

Suran rose and said simply, “Rise, T’Sai, and allow me to show you something.” Kate nodded as she got to her feet, she was even more confused than before, Suran had been helping her since she arrived, but she had no idea what he was up to. Kate pulled off her gloves and tossed them into her bag before grabbing her jacket, “Leave them, Vulcan’s don’t steal,” he instructed. Suran walked out of the room with grace as he lead her down a hallway and into another room, it was smaller with warm wooden floors several gold screens. There were several rich plum cushions on the floor and a small wooden table.

Suran took a seat on one of them and held his hand out to direct her to the position across from him. Kate willingly took a seat. He drew a deep breath and rested his palms on his knees. His eyes fell on her as he waited a moment, she could tell he was composing his thoughts. “There is a reason why Vulcan’s don’t touch, even one another,” he stated, “We are touch telepaths.” Kate was silent, that part of the mystery was revealed yet it didn’t explain why Soval wasn’t listening or Suran’s point.

The elder Vulcan drew a deep breath, “We labor to control our emotions, and since we do, we do not wish to infringe on other races, therefore we don’t touch,” he explained. He looked at her as he held his hand out to her. She eyed it curiously, most would be afraid and yet she was more than willing to see what she could about him. “The Ambassador is no stranger to emotion,” he reiterated confusing Kate.

Suran closed his eyes once more, it was as though he were fighting an internal battle. “Major, the most emotional day for the Ambassador was not when his wife had died with his daughter, or when he had been sent to Earth,” Suran stated sternly. She fell silent as she looked at him with wide curious blue eyes, her brown hair falling down her back as she leaned forward a little more. The Ambassador was very reserved and to learn just a little about him was a treat in it’s self.

A look of sadness crossed Suran’s face, “It was when he brought your father home and watched the little girl he had met one Christmas Party break before him,” he said slowly. Kate’s mouth popped open as she stared at Suran in shock, of all the things to endure the most emotional day was returning the Admiral to his home. To return her father to her, “That day Osu truly was upset, he wept for the Admiral and you. I had never seen him so emotional, it was as though I were dealing with another person entirely, not the man I had come to know,” he said softly.

Kate was silent, Suran’s statement echoed in her head. “Close your eyes,” he instructed, “In order for you to gain control you must have control of your emotions.” Kate obeyed, if she was to be of any aid to the ambassador she realized she would have to learn to control herself. Suran’s voice washed over her, his instructions were to focus on the emotion’s with in, to examine them and then allow them to pass by.

Her mind was jumbled and she couldn’t focus, she respected Suran but she couldn’t concentrate. Her eyes flickered open and she noticed how calm Suran seemed. She closed her eyes once again and began to try and tame her mind, only for the image of her father’s casket to appear, and the look of disgust on her mother’s face.  Kate growled in frustration as she jumped to her feet after several minutes. This was going to be a great deal more difficult than she thought.

 

 


	5. Chapter 4: Shades of Gray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soval's emotions have swung out of control, not only after the sharp accusations made by the Andorian's but Kate has also made his world shift. He feels himself slipping and begins to battle back, or at least attempts to regain equilibrium as things suddenly spin out of his control. He's drowning in emotions and is terrified of how far he might sink if he doesn't regain some control.
> 
> Meanwhile, Kate is attempting to get her sketch to Star Fleet, only to learn it never reaches them. With a great deal of frustration, she makes a gutsy move that could cost her greatly. As she manages to execute her plan, she suddenly finds herself with a great deal more questions than answers.

**Chapter 4: Shades of Gray**

There is always a threat of losing control, for some this loss is greater and more devastating than others. Control is what often is equated to the upper hand in a game of chess, or a strategy to ensure victory in war, yet, there are times in which these battles aren’t only physical but mental as well. In many ways, it’s the mental battles where an individual has a great deal more to lose. Not only may he lose his friends and allies, but also his own sanity. It is a turbulent sea of memories which often evoke emotions that in many cases individuals forget they even possess.

The mind is a complex place, regardless of the species it is filled with mystery and even the very way it operates has eluded the most intelligent of them. There are many methods that are utilized in an attempt to tame it, and much of it is tedious. At least for an outsider, those who were dedicated to mental disciplines learned early on what was demanded of them.

Not a whisper was heard, only the sound of what one would mistake as a rolling tide, deep and measured, yet soothing. It sounded as though the waves were crashing against the rocks and scraping against the shore in a disparate attempted to scale it, and move further inland. The room was still, and the walls themselves even seemed tranquil, as they towered around the inhabitants, each painted a golden cream. The room was muted in many ways, despite the large number of windows to the West, allowing for the light of the afternoon sun to pour through them. Sitting in the center of the room on a dark silk cushion was perhaps the only individual who wasn’t as tranquil as the room.

While his exterior exhibited both self discipline and control, his mind was in chaos. Everything from the unusual claims of the Andorian’s to the actions of Major Forrest seemed to clutter it. He felt as though he were suffocating in his own head. Ambassador Soval attempted to tame the landscape of his mind, yet to no avail. He had been thrust into the realm of uncertainty, where chaos reigned supreme. The once tranquil sands of the desert and still Vulcan sky were swirled. Sand fires appeared and the sky it’s self was filled with ominous dark clouds, swirling with energy, the only sign that a massive storm was going to occur on his home world. The air was sweltering and the winds whipped so violently that he himself wondered why he hadn’t lost all control.

The Andorians were always looking for a reason to cause a great deal of struggle between them, they often craved a way to ignite war, despite the fact that the pair would surly annihilate one another so violently that there wouldn’t be a trace of them in the end. The weapons signatures looked identical to a Vulcan ship, however, that was impossible, none of those ships had been fitted with the weapons they were accused of. He had checked all of the data from possible modifications on all the ships which were reported to have possessed it. Only to find that such modifications never occurred.

Trade between planets was getting far more tense, and the cause of these readings became more and more ambiguous. Logically it would because the weapons were present, yet none of them had been recorded as being implemented. In fact, the only ships to possess such weapons were the Class 4 Merchants, who were known for intergalactic trade, yet they didn’t even show evidence of charging or even targeting the ports, which was what they had been accused of. As a result the Vulcan Economy was showing affects of this. Suddenly other planets perceived them as having offensive notions and violent ideals, only adding to the discomfort between planets.

The wind became even more harsh as the Ambassador grabbed the information, oddly turning it into a sheet. The white page with Vulcan script on it was heavy in his fingers, much like the responsibility he had to his planet. The paper was stiff, and yet with grace he folded it up and held it out, so that the wind may take it. He needed to find his center and in order to do so, he would have to cast away any and all external factors. The reason he was so frustrated by these events was simple, he did not wish for his people to suffer for crimes which they hadn’t committed, but proving that they hadn’t committed them was even more of a challenge.

Dark brown eyes followed the sheet as it disappeared only for another issue to appear, just when he thought he had managed to cast them all away. His world turned gray, even the once vivid red sky had turned to a dark hue of gray. Standing before him in a standard MACO uniform was Kate, the only item of color, he felt as though he were trapped in the world of a Terran Monochrome film. She was clutching her shoulder, her fingers tainted red, the blood slipping onto the ground she stood on. Her face had smears of both dirt and blood. Her hair was matted, dirty and in such a stated that he didn’t recognize it as being blonde. Her once luminous blue eyes had faded, and a gleam of pain had settled in them. She was far too thin, fragile looking as her lips parted, “Help,” was the only word he heard.

Soval gasped as he fell from his meditation and fount himself sprawled across the floor of the meditation room. His chest was heaving as his heart pounded painfully in his side. “Kate,” he whispered as he bolted up right and made for the door. He had to make sure she was safe, he simply had to make sure she was uninjured. Fear, a fear he had only felt once in his life filled him again, the fear of losing something important. He left his robe hanging in the corner and wandered into the hallway wearing only a tunic and pair of pants. His feet were still bare, and he could feel the harsh tile flooring of the hallway under them as he padded toward her.

Just as he rounded the corner he noticed her standing at attention, her eyes plastered forward at the rest of the hallway, watching for any movement which may have been interoperated as hostile. Upon further inspection he noticed that she had dark circles under her eyes, she seemed pail and even her lack of sleep had made it’s self known in her posture, since she was slightly slumped. He was well aware that he worked long hours, and for the longest time still didn’t wish to comply with Max’s wishes, after all he knew far better than Max on these affairs. Yet, she had managed to tolerate him, and his staff, to still stand in the hallway and protect him.

Soval straightened his tunic and clasped his hands behind his back, she needed a break. As much as he hated seeing her protect him, causing the stubborn girl pain wasn’t gratifying either. Mentally he paused, gratifying, that wasn’t the way of a Vulcan, and wondered just how much she skewed his emotions. He slowly approached her, working out just how he was going to tell her to take some time off and not sound as though he were interested in keeping her.

The simplest way was to dismiss her for the day, which was just what he planned to do. “Major Forrest,” he stated. The young woman in question turned to him and asked, “Ambassador?” Soval stared at her sky blue eyes and replied, “You are dismissed for the day, I plan on staying in the compound.” It was true he didn’t plan on leaving it, and in reality she didn’t have to shadow him while he was with in the consulate, it was excessive to say the least. “Sir, I am you guard, even if you plan to stay in the Consulate, I am to guard you at all times,” she replied, without hesitation. Clearly it was her argument for any and all challenged he placed before her, it was logical after all.

“But, unnecessary. You have not slept in several days and I do not need it affecting your performance and ability to server us,” he stated harshly. He knew it was cruel to play on her sense of duty, but she had to see that her welfare was just as important as theirs. She glared at him, another thing he was becoming accustomed to, “How would you know that?” she asked with a hint of irritation. Soval internally sighed, she was going to argue anyway.

Soval replied without even a hint of apology, “The bags under your eyes, posture and the fact that your log-ins with the security servers are very late. Kruss had visited me earlier today and stated that you are up surprisingly late.” Kate fell silent, she had been caught, now why she was even attempting to hide was a mystery to him. She looked at him and he watched her shoulders sag a little.

He didn’t like this look of defeat but rather it be himself than an actual assailant. “You are dismissed for the rest of the day and this evening. I would like to see you at 6 tomorrow morning,” he commanded. Kate had no room left to argue, he listened to her heels snap together as she nodded and said crisply, “Yes, sir.” He watched as she turned and began walking down the hallway.

At least this issue was solved, now he simply had to understand why she affected him so. Soval’s eyes flickered back down the hallway, there was one way to do it, and it was meditation. Yet, he had been attempting to do so for the past three hours, and hadn’t reached center. “Perhaps I should attempt to solve the issue with the scans,” he mused. With that he walked back to the room to collect his shoes and robe, to work he would go, and hopefully he would find just a little clarity in that event.

~vOv~

The memory is a fickle place, for in here it is entirely influences by not only the observation skills of the individual at the time but also the emotions they had felt. Emotions, which actually taint the purely of the memory, or at least this is true for those who aren’t trained to take in nearly every minute detail of a face. The sound of a pencil filled the room as it scraped against a pad of paper. While many artists utilized PADD based programs, nothing was better than a sketch.

Black smeared fingers gripped the edges of the large block as it’s owner shaded an area. This was the third sketch so far, and yet, each and every sketch she had sent to Star Fleet for analysis wasn’t received. Kate huffed in frustration as she looked into a pair of dark soulless eyes that were staring at her from the page. It was strange, and each time she had attempted to contact them she was informed that they had never received the email. In fact, they hadn’t even heard of the incident, which in it’s self was alarming. With a groan she tossed the pad of paper aside and listened to it collide with the glass table in the lounge.

Soval was engaged in another meeting with T’Vok as well as several Ministers from Vulcan, apparently trade with several planets was becoming even more strained, it wasn’t just the Andorians. He had dismissed her, and oddly she didn’t mind. It allowed for her to get another version of the sketch sent to Star Fleet.

She looked at the charcoals and pencils resting in an old biscuit tin, they were worn and the nubs varied in size. All MACOs were trained sketch artists, it was a trait they had learned in case technology wasn’t available so that it were possible to at least make visual contact with a mark. Sketching was like any other part of her training, when practiced it was possible to become very good.

The only issue was getting someone to run the scans. It was impossible to do it from the Vulcan Consulate, they didn’t have access to the Star Fleet Database. There were limits of their power, and access to sensitive materials of that nature was nearly impossible. She had gone through all of the proper channels, and had yet to hear a response on the sketch. It was as though her mail was being intercepted.

Kate froze, her mail was being intercepted, or at least the sketch had been. The very notion caused the blood in her veins to freeze. If this were the case than the possibility that the man in the alley was more than just a desperate thug seemed even more possible. In a snap she snatched her PADD from the coffee table and opened her contacts list. If she couldn’t get help from the right division, she would sent it as someone else. A smile curled her lips, in the instance that someone wanted to prevent her from communicating with Star Fleet she had created another account, one which a select few knew, and by few it was simply Archer, Phlox, T’Pol, Trip and Malcolm, the officers of the _Enterprise_. It was Captain Archer’s idea, since he didn’t like the idea of Kate getting locked out and found it essential for her to have a back-up account.

At first she had argued with him, but now realized the logic behind it and felt a little impressed. The childish Captain Archer had actually instructed her to do something very intelligent. She was quick to log out of the original account, only to pause and stand up, she didn’t need Soval or Suran seeing this, since what she was about to do was illegal. Major Forrest stuck her head out the door and look down the hallway, after a moment she deemed it to be clear and walked down the hallway with haste.

She wouldn’t have long before Soval called upon her and needed to get the sketch to someone. She had to hijack another person’s IP, and it had to be someone from Star Fleet. Kate quickly padded down the hallway as she sifted through her PADD for a specific little program she had written in case she was ever in a bind. It was small and didn’t look like much to the untrained eye, but to anyone who knew something about PADDs and computers it was a loaded gun.

The small program had only been used once before, and after doing so she vowed that she would only use it if necessary. As she walked down the hallway she pretended to be immersed in a document on the PADD, which wasn’t a stretch from her normal behavior, after all she was always receiving orders from the Ambassador or Star Fleet on it. Just as she rounded another corner and entered the lobby did she see what she was planning on. Standing near the desk was an young Ensign, she had blonde hair and brown eyes. She was shorter than Kate, but not by much.

Kate hummed with approval as she stepped closer, her strides were confident and she stopped just short of the young woman, only to activate the program. Instantly the woman’s contacts and information was being sent to her PADD as she cloned the devise. Virtually she managed to steal the very identity of the woman before her and in many ways could possibly impassionate her if she wished. The Ensign turned around and nearly jumped out of her skin. “Major,” she squeaked, her brown eyes were the size of plates as she did so. Kate was more than aware that most of Star Fleet knew who she was. After all she was the only human allowed near the Ambassador in such close proximity who wasn’t one of the Admirals.

She flashed a welcoming smile, “Hello Ensign, enjoying the Consulate?” she asked smoothly. She needed 30 more seconds to complete the process. The young woman nodded, “Yes, it’s lovely. I was surprised really, Vulcans are so distant and yet their choice of décor is inviting,” she stated. Kate hummed, she didn’t have the heart to tell her that a majority of what she was seeing was created just to make humans feel at ease, for most Vulcans their world consisted of a larger number of shades and more intricate fabrics.

Major Forrest hummed with approval, “It is rather soothing, shall I show you to the door?” she asked cordially. The Vulcan at the desk arched a brow in confusion before Kate stated, “I just wanted to ask her a few questions, besides it’s nice to run into another person from the academy.” She turned to the young Ensign and continued escorting her, listening for any cues as to whether she was a threat. “So what track are you on?” asked Kate as they began to head toward the exit.

The young woman was beaming as she replied, “Science, I was dropping off some material for T’Vok.” Kate hummed, she had chosen wisely, the Ensign probably had no idea what was going to happen to her once she left the Consulate but Kate was going to use this to her advantage, of course she would make sure none of it was traced back to the Ensign, but she needed a fresh IP and this was the only way to do it. “You don’t get out much do you?” asked Kate lightly. The Ensign laughed and shook her head, “Nah, I spend more time in the labs than any where else,” she replied with a hint of sadness.

Kate hummed, she remembered those days, she didn’t do much by the means of entertainment either. “It’s okay, study hard and you’ll achieve anything. What’s your name?” she asked. The Ensign looked over her shoulder and replied, “Kyra Sparrow.” Sparrow, it was certainly unique but it also sounded as though it were fake, her eyes narrowed slightly wondering if she were about to nick a fake ID to use. Kyra smiled warmly as they approached the gates and Kate held up her hand to wish her well.

Her smile slipped away from her face as she turned on her heel and checked her PADD, she had the IP. With ease she managed to get back to the room and looked over the information, her eyes skimming it with skill looking for any signs that it had been manufactured. Apparently Sparrow was a decent student, no where near a prodigy, but not run of the mill either. It was realistic and yet, there was something unusual about it, why an Ensign who was considerably average was delivering material to the Vulcan Consulate confounded her.

Mentally she berated herself, she didn’t have a great deal of time to send the sketch, she had spent most of it attempting to acquire a new IP. Kate quickly logged into the Ensign’s accounts, using passwords which had been saved to the PADD and sent the message. The sketch was then flung across cyberspace and into the waiting mailbox of someone from the division she had been attempting to contact. The only thing she had done before that was make sure the message was routed to another inbox, the one in the dummy account.

There was a rustle and Kate looked up to see Suran standing in the doorway, “Young T’Sai, Osu has retired to meditate,” he stated after a moment. Kate looked up at him after watched the PADD erase all the evidence of her deed. “I see, it went that well huh?” she asked as she placed her PADD aside and rested her hands in her lap. Suran sighed, his shoulders dropping slightly as he did so. “These weapons signatures are showing up on other planets we trade with, and they are also very real,” he remarked. Kate stared in shock at Suran. It wasn’t normal for him to be sharing something so sensitive, then again the entire issue was unusual.

She had done a great deal of study on Vulcan star ships and their classifications to know that few captains would ever fit their ships with such dangerous weapons. “The VSA hasn’t turned up anything?” she asked curiously. Suran shook his head before sitting in a chair beside her. “Nothing, T’Vok is getting frustrated, she contacted Star Fleet and apparently they sent some materials here for her to examine. She doubts they will aid us,” Suran mused.

At least now Ensign Sparrow made sense, obviously she was just the messenger. “Sounds frustrating, the Ambassador must be ready to snap. I’m kinda shocked your still calm,” she mused. Suran was quiet as his eyes fell on the sketch pad on the table. “May I?” he asked curiously, a brow arching as he did so. Kate waved it off, and he slowly picked up the block. “The Ambassador required meditation, the facts are… conflicting,” he stated as his eyes fell on the sketch.

With a great deal of care he seemed to examine the image, despite the fact that it was of the person who had been attempting to kill them. “This is impressive, your rendition of the assailant is perfect,” he commented before lifting the page and arching a brow once more, silently asking for permission. “Thanks, it’s kind of part of being a MACO,” she replied, “Oh go on, thumb through them.”

Suran didn’t need another hint and she watched as the Vulcan still dressed in dark brown robes turned the page, only to pause and examine each image. They were mainly portraits, some of random staff from the Embassy, others of people in the streets. Suran flipped the page slowly, his motions were careful, as though he would offend the drawings and that they would somehow vanish before his eyes. Each of them was different, some portrayed an emotion while others were a study of different facial features. He turned the page once more and asked, “Our robes?”

The Major nodded as she leaned over and looked at the image, it was a study she had done in an attempt to perfect her shading on drapery. “Yeah, I was working on my shading, I have seen Soval’s robes hanging as well as yours and realized they were the perfect model,” she replied. Suran turned the page only to see several sketches of Archer, in fact there were three pages dedicated to the man. Every one of his emotions were displayed from Anger to fear and then confusion. Suran arched a brow as he turned the page to see a Beagle, “Oh that’s Porthos, he’s Archer’s dog,” she stated, answering his unvoiced question. The corners of his lips quirked up as he stared at an image of Archer chasing the dog, with Trip and Malcolm scrambling behind him, mean while T’Pol was totting a bag of treats, they looked as though they would run off the page in an attempt to catch the captain’s pet.

Suran turned the page again only to pause, “Oh sorry,” she mumbled and flushed a little. Staring back at them was Suran, she had drawn him a few times, she found the wrinkles of his face intriguing as well as how his eyes were very expressive. Unlike the others in the book she had drawn his with ink, it was all done with a fine nib pen. Each emotions she had witnessed was present, from irritation to amusement. His eyes fell on one image and she knew what it was, “Affection? Do not let your eyes device you, we do not allow such emotions to formulate,” he chided.

A smirk curled her lips, he was denying it, “Oh? So when you look at me like that, after I’ve done well or I’m out of harms way that isn’t affection?” she asked crossing her arms petulantly. Suran replied hastily, “No it is not, we do not express emotions.” Kate shook her head, as always it seemed to be the only thing every Vulcan was convinced they had total control over, their emotions. “Okay then,” she stated with a huff, knowing that there was little point in arguing with the sagely Vulcan.

The Vulcan Aide ignored her as he turned the page and froze instantly. “You drew this?” he asked dumbly. Kate was about to ask him what the issue was, until she realized just which image he was on, it was the first of the book. She had drawn it after Admiral Forrest’s return to Earth. It was also the most detailed in the book.

Unlike the rest which stared out of the page, it was an unusual piece. She had caught a glimpse of his face that evening expressing a combination of pain and sorrow. It was a profile view, where it were possible to see his pointed ears and suddenly all the years that had accumulated, and then some, in his eyes. His upward sweeping brow seemed wrinkled slightly as his eyes narrowed. It was a sketch of a vulnerable man, who wasn’t the Ambassador in that moment, but a sentient being who had been through a great deal. There was something about the look in his eyes which told her she had to tread carefully and yet, never back off. It was an expression which loomed in her mind; he was utterly alone and in pain.

“You saw this?” Suran asked shaking Kate from her thoughts. All she could do was nod, she had lost the ability to form words some time ago. For some reason that sketch made her remember she wasn’t the only one who lost something important. Kate swept a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear and nodded. Suran looked at the sketch and hummed, she knew it was older than the rest, in fact it was one of her first assignments. She had been told she fabricated the image but his expression was burned into her memory.

Suran handed her the sketch book, “That expression was the one he wore in private for many years, I wouldn’t show this to anyone,” he said after a moment. Kate collected the book when she noticed her PADD flash. She stared at the slick silver devise in confusion, she shouldn’t have heard anything yet. It should have taken longer. “I will leave you,” Suran said as he rose from his seat. Kate’s hand shot up to halt him, “Wait, this could be on that sketch,” she stated.

Even though Suran worked for the Ambassador and she had done some fairly illegal actions to send the sketch, he paused as she snatched the PADD and quickly opened it. Her fingers flew across the screen and she stared at the message.

_Sparrow,_

_The sketch you sent this afternoon was received. Meet me at the place of dreams constructed of glass, a quarter to bewitching hour, I have some information you require. It’s quite the risk, and believe me there are many games which will cost you your life in more ways than one. I hope you like risks. If you accept, wear a ring of crimson around your neck, and paint your lips red. I suggest you keep in mind, I like a loaded gun._

Kate read the message twice, a cryptic one that wasn’t regulation. She looked at Suran who was watching her carefully, it was clear that he was expecting something akin to an update. “Major?” he asked curiously Kate hummed as she attempted to track the IP only to find a dummy account. It was honestly her luck that she would run into someone as clever as her. “I got a reply, but not an ID, and invitation,” she replied. Suran’s eyebrows practically disappeared into his hairline.

The Vulcan held his hand out for the PADD, which she immediately handed over, after deleting her tracking on the other person’s IP, naturally. Suran read the message and sat down in the chair he had once been settled in. “It’s rather obscure,” he replied, “Is there a key?” Kate shook her head, she knew the message was a riddle, it wasn’t an easy one.

“Well, the first part is easy, it’s a confirmation. The second part though,” she began and paused, “it’s a location, which is obvious.” Suran pulled out his own PADD and began to open something, “What are you doing?” she asked harshly. Suran paused and looked up at her with large blue eyes, his eyes always seemed to betray him, then again he wasn’t as tightly wound as the Ambassador, who’s mood was always veiled. “I was going to tell Osu of this event,” he replied.

Kate shook her head, there was no way she was having the Ambassador involved until she had reached the bottom of this and knew if they had any information. “No, I don’t want to chase a herring, he doesn’t need to know about this until I’m sure this is a lead,” she stated harshly, “His primary concern is economic in nature and determining why he hadn’t been able to keep trade with other planets.” Suran was silent and she could sense the shock, he looked as though he were going to argue the logic until she held her hand up silencing him, “My primary purpose is to protect him, this is in my job description. If there is something of value that comes out of this then I will speak to him,” she stated as she faced the window, her hands behind her back as she gazed out the window at the choppy waters of the bay, “Until then, I will chase this lead and decide for myself its value.”

Suran was one for logic, he was usually attempting to talk her out of doing something foolish, yet currently he was silent. Kate’s blue eyes flickered over to him, only to note the Vulcan looked oddly content. “I was going to allow you to investigate, however I wanted to inform Osu that you had heard a reply,” he stated. Kate hummed, she could understand his sense of duty but needed to do this alone. “Suran, not now, I will inform him,” she stated.

The Aide nodded before looking back at the PADD on the table, “What is the location of the meet?” he asked. Kate smirked, “It’s a rave called the Crystal Palace, I went once with Amanda, it’s quite the place. He’s expecting me a quarter to midnight, which leaves the rest,” she said with a hint of irritation. The whole part about games confused her, who ever was contacting her was good at coding the rest of the message. As far as she knew there weren’t games at the Crystal Palace, it was just a rave.

With a sigh she sat down and slipped her fingers through her hair in an attempt to remember something important. “Amanda,” she shouted as she clapped her hands together. Suran looked confused once more, “Amanda would know, the rest, she has been clubbing longer than I have,” she stated as she opened a link and prayed Amanda was still on Earth or at least in range. Suran stared at the screen of the PADD as she waited for a connection.

A young man answered, he was shirtless and glistened in the light. He was out of breath and shimmering ebony skin, his eyes were an electric blue and he had bleached blonde hair. “Hey Kai, I’m looking for Amanda,” she stated quickly. Kai blinked and looked at her, “Oh this is Suran, he’s the Aide to Ambassador Soval, look I really need to speak to her,” Kate said in a rush. Kai sighed and looked over his shoulder, “Okay, give me a sec,” he stated as he placed the PADD on a stand.

Kate stared at the scene before her. Amanda was wearing a sports bra and a pair of baggy purple pants. Her long brown hair was tied behind her hair and she wore a pair of soft black shoes. The music echoed in the room as she moved, her feet sliding across the floor as she continued to move. There was the sound of a guitar echoing in the background and Kate watched as Amanda spun on one foot before doing a back flip, she smiled as she watched her best friend move. “Thanks for the memories, why does it sound like my cover?” asked Kate.

Suran stared at the woman and asked, “Cover?” Kate hummed and nodded before clarifying, “A cover is a version of a song that was recorded by another person and not the artist, it’s often modified.” Suran nodded and she watched as he seemed to listen more intently, “You’re singing?” he asked. Kate nodded and added, “I play guitar too. It’s different from a violin but cheaper to get my hands on.” She didn’t want to tell him what had happened to her violin, and oddly he didn’t question her.

Amanda slid across the floor on her knees before rising, she looked at the PADD and squeaked, “Gin!” In seconds the brunet was standing before them, her chest was heaving and she looked just as strong as she had when they were in school. “Hey Am, I need your help with something,” she said. Amanda hummed before shouting over her shoulder, “YO KAI! CUT THE TRACK!” Silence followed the command and Kate smirked, as always Amanda had control over him. Kai had been a friend of theirs for years and was an excellent weapons specialist, it didn’t take long for Amanda to befriend him, only to learn he was a little gay. Not that she cared, it just meant she had a dance partner who wasn’t trying to get into her pants.

Amanda collected the pad and sat down on one of the many cushions that typically covered the studio floor. “So, what can I do?” Kate smirked as she sent a portion of the text, as always Amanda looked over it and replied, “Well the first part and last part are easy, he wasn’t you to wear red lipstick and a red choker in the end, and the beginning is the meeting place and time,” as always she was on point. She scowled and Kate could tell she was looking at the middle of the text, “The middle though, wait, he’s meeting you at the Crystal Palace?” she asked. Kate nodded and stated with a great deal of ire, “Amanda we figured that out and you just confirmed it!”

The brunet shook her head, “No I know what he’s talking about. It’s not a game per say. It’s a cocktail!” she chimed. Kate and Suran looked at one another, a drink, that was the big code, “Probably something like a Russian Roulette,” she mused. Kate remembered the one cocktail she had never tried but desired to, “Or a Blackjack,” she mused. Amanda nodded and instantly she understood the message, he was going to wait at the bar and the drinks were the code. “Thanks Amanda,” Kate chirped quickly only for Amanda to shout, “Hold it. If you got this coded message, it could be dangerous. Shouldn’t you talk to someone?” she asked.

The young blonde crossed her arms and replied, “I did, I told Suran, look I don’t want anyone to panic until I understand the situation.” Amanda huffed as she crossed her arms. She wasn’t amused, which honestly wasn’t anything new. Amanda was the type that wanted to play it safe, she didn’t jump like this. “Fine, just watch your self,” she stated. Kate nodded and replied, “Will do.”

Suran looked at her and stated, “I will not lie to Osu.” Of course he wouldn’t it wasn’t a very Vulcan thing to do, to lie. “I’m not asking you to,” Kate replied simply as she got up and picked up her items, “I’m asking you to avoid a situation where he asks about me.” Suran looked uncomfortable and she was well aware of what she was asking of him, but needed him to understand just how important this was.

The Vulcan nodded before rising, “I will not tell him, unless he asks. However please note that I see this as unwise. It would be better to tell him,” he stated. Kate stared at the Vulcan who was now before her, he was wrapped in brown robes with an orange one under it. His blue eyes were narrowed as though he were chastising a child. “I know, but this is something I have to do. He has enough to worry about,” she stated as she rose to her full height. “Worry is an emotion,” he pointed out. Kate chuckled, she knew it was but had a feeling he would feel it despite his self discipline.

Kate watched Suran leave, and her eyes fell on the sketch of the Ambassador. It consisted of shades of black and white, the only mid point between them being gray. If only the world were so simple, for black to be black and white to be white. Yet, like the drawing it wasn’t, everything was simply gray, making things far more difficult to understand.

With little thought she snatched the PADD from the table and left for her quarters, she had to get ready for a little meeting, and she wasn’t about to tell Soval. He had instructed her to sleep, something she wasn’t interested in, she had to solve the case. She would have plenty of time to sleep when she was dead. After all, with the world being shades of gray she had to make sure she had selec


	6. Chapter 5: Beautiful Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Advice, it isn't a command, it's a suggestion, at least in the eyes of Major Forrest it is. Despite Suran's words, she goes to the Rave, determined to meet the mysterious individual who had sent the message. At first she had thought it was simply corruption and a power play in Star Fleet, only to learn that this was far more complex. After meeting the last person she anticipated to meet to get intel on the sketch, she learns that all of the Ambassador's are in very real danger.
> 
> Soval is still attempting to master his emotions, only to meet Admiral Gardner who manages to push him even further. Not only are the Andorian's accusing Vulcan of breaking treaties, but there is a possibility of other members of the Coalition of Planets siding with them. The faulty readings, are turning out to be even more real than he had anticipated and the threat to his home world even more so. 
> 
> As if the stress weren't enough he is suddenly faced with a new issue, Kate.

**Chapter 5: Beautiful Nightmares**

 

Weapons signatures are unique to each type of race, it was customary for different ports to scan for weapons on ships, especially from merchants hailing from planets which were considered adversaries. Each and every reading was identical to the Vulcan weapons found on high class ships. It was frustrating in many ways, so mush so that even the typically well controlled mind of the Vulcan Ambassador was plunged into chaos. The Vulcan Science Academy had sent him their findings and much to their confusion, as well as his own, the signatures matched and were authentic.

Ambassador Soval strode out of his office; meditation would have been the solution if he could focus enough. “Ambassador Soval,” called a familiar voice, the Ambassador turned around to see Admiral Gardner. He stood motionless, his hands at his sides as he watched the Admiral trot over to him. Unlike Max, Gardner was well groomed and always looked the part of a diplomat. He was the kind of man with soft hands, as many humans referred to them, and Soval had become accustomed to the man’s insistent chatter. Gardner stopped before Soval, “I was hoping to catch you, things have been difficult recently,” he stated. Soval began to walk and had a feeling Gardner was going to following him until he was in the privet residence.

Soval clasped his hands before himself and replied, “It has been a challenge, we are currently investigating the nature of these scans,” his tone was even and he was careful to watch his phrasing. Gardner had a tendency to misinterpret him, like many humans, except Max and Major Forrest. Gardner nodded and continued, “Of course, naturally we are interested as well. However, we aren’t too keen on allowing the tension between the rest of the Collation and Vulcan to continue.”

The Vulcan Ambassador paused and looked over at Gardner who was sporting a rather sincere expression, “I assure you, we are doing all we are able in order to determine what has been occurring. The rest of the Collation need not concern themselves with our affairs,” he stated. Gardner snorted, it was a sound which no Vulcan would ever make them, it was unfitting. His eyes narrowed slightly, Gardner didn’t believe him. “Typically I would agree, only recently our readings from your ships have been the same, you are carrying weapons on board you shouldn’t,” was the Admiral rebuttal.

To this the Ambassador stopped entirely, in a swift motion he was facing Gardner, “That is a steep accusation Admiral, for which you will need evidence to prove your claim,” he said stiffly. Gardner held up a PADD, his dark eyes unyielding, “I have it. Look I hate doing this but the rest of the Collation is nervous, it isn’t a mystery after the Xindi attack that you guys would be armed to the teeth, and with what had occurred with V’Las.” Soval stared at the human before him, each of those statements was meant to irritate him, to produce a reaction that would further harm the reputation of Vulcan.

He wasn’t about to give this human his, satisfaction. He was a Vulcan and despite his inability to meditate currently, he wasn’t about to allow for such a rise to occur. “What is it that you are suggesting?” asked the Ambassador coolly. Gardner sighed as he looked at Soval, his eyes held no fear, and there was a certain darkness behind them, making the Ambassador wonder just what was occurring. “I’m suggesting that until you are able to sort this mess out, that you withdraw from the Collation,” Gardner replied sternly. It wasn’t a suggestion, this was a veiled order.

To pull out of the Collation would cause a great deal of trouble for Earth. The Klingons were already showing interest in attacking the planet and without their presence, it would be impossible for Earth to be protected. By pulling out of the Collation, he would be sent back to Vulcan, even if it were temporary. There was little he could do, yet the larger part of the issue was that nearly every member of the Collation was also a major trade partner. If he were to withdraw, he would loose his ability to negotiate trade and could sink Vulcan into an economic depression- something that hadn’t occurred in over five thousand years.

“No,” stated the Ambassador, “Vulcan will not withdraw from the Collation.”

His statement echoed through the golden halls of the Consulate resulting in a number of staff members to stare at him. “We agreed to serve as a potential ally for Earth, as well as a guide to the stars. We are not about to break such promise,” he stated, his voice began elevating without his consent. “This issue is one which we will deal with, the rest of the Collation has nothing to fear, unless they are behind our misfortune,” he finished with a hint of finality in his voice. He wasn’t going to be told by a mere human what he was able to do and what was best for his people. He was Vulcan, and he knew what his people needed.

Soval pivoted, his robes billowed as he did so and began to walk toward the residence, “By the way, I was wondering, why Ensign Sparrow would send a sketch to us from here, she’s a science officer after all. It’s a bit strange,” he stated. Soval paused mid-step, “What’s even more unusual is the reroute address, it was accessed here several hours ago, and it certainly wasn’t Ensign Sparrow.” Ensign Sparrow had delivered information to T’Vok, yet he was speaking of a sketch, the only person he knew that would have something to do with a sketch was Major Forrest.

He faced Gardner and responded, “I do not know what events you speak of, however you should tend to, as you frequently say, your own house and I will tend to mine.” Soval was quick to change his coarse, he needed to find the Major and the one person who would know where she was regardless of time was Suran. While Gardner hadn’t accused her, there was something too convenient, Kate was the one with a sketch and somehow she had managed to get a hold of Sparrow’s PADD.

Major Forrest had been working on the sketch for a while, and he was well aware that she wasn’t getting through to the division she needed to. Yet, the way Gardner was making open accusations about his position as well as hers was more than enough evidence that something far more complex was occurring. The economic slump on Vulcan was alarming, and if the rest of the planet in the collation felt uncomfortable with trade, it could cause even more harm. Their society was fragile, revolution was still fresh and there were plenty of Elders who would enjoy watching him and Kuvak fail. They had worked hard to bring Vulcan out of darkness an into the light. Yet, this string of events could crush them.

Soval stood before Suran’s desk and noticed the Vulcan was working on a transcription. “Suran, I need the most recent data on our markets as well as trade,” he commanded. His planet first, he would deal with Kate after he had what he needed. Suran quickly pulled the data and handed him a PADD, “I have been told by Admiral Gardner that the rest of the planets in the Collation do not wish to have us an ally due to recent events,” he remarked. Suran froze and immediately looked up at him, shock was written on his face. Shock which Soval was still feeling, “What will you do Osu?”

The Ambassador hummed as he replied, “I have no intention of leaving the Collation, it would be counter productive to our desire of making allies with not only Earth but the other planets as well.”

Suran nodded as he looked to his monitor, “Where is Major Forrest?” asked Soval. His Aide froze and he watched the man’s body tense. “Major Forrest is out for the evening, meeting someone,” he replied. Soval’s eyes narrowed, he remembered telling her that she had the evening off, but didn’t think she would go on a date with what had been occurring, or going out for that matter. “What kind of meeting?” asked Soval, Suran was keeping something from him, and he had this unusual feeling in the back of his mind that Kate was up to something, and he was even more uncomfortable than usual.

“Information,” was Suran’s reply and immediately Soval put the PADD aside. Anger was beginning to coalesce behind his barriers, “Tell me what you know,” he commanded.

~vOv~

Pulse, it’s the sound of life. It’s infectious, primitive and enough to drive even the most evolved individual to a primal urge. The pulse, a natural force which music often emulated.

The music pulsed as lights flickered through the building. The windows seemed to shake and the sound of laughter filled the room. Liquors of every color splayed across the counter in classes of every imaginable shape, size and finish. Kate waded through the crowd of women who didn’t seem to really be wearing anything, and men who threw on jeans that were so constricting she wondered how they were even comfortable. Her stilettos clicked as she walked across the floor, her hips swaying to the infectious beat and she lifted her arms above her head in an attempt to be inconspicuous, that and it was a powerful house jam.

Her blue eyes glanced around the room, searching for her contact. Her blonde hair fell about her like an unruly mane, she had attempted to tame it only to realize it was impossible. Her blonde hair was lush and seemed to be even wilder. A pair of skin tight black faux leather pants hugged her curves, leaving nothing to the imagination. She swept a strand of hair behind her ear, an intricate ear wrap of scroll work in silver winked in the light as she did so.

Wrapped around her torso was a cream colored women’s jawbreaker sweater, it was baggy around the waste and fell off her shoulders. She loved the netting, it showed skin and at the same time obscured it. She had selected an emerald green tank-top to wear under it; it was tight and seemed to give her body dimension. It wasn’t a traditional clubbing outfit, but in her opinion it got the job done. She had received more than a few lingering glances. It also helped that she was in top condition. She had her jacket with the valet near the door as well as the helmet to her bike.

Red lips parted slightly as she continued to look for her contact, he had stated he knew something and the sketch had sparked his interest. He had all but hinted that he had information which she might find helpful. She had been asked to wear a bright red band around her neck. She had to search for a man wearing a bright red scarf of the same shade. She continued to glance around until her eyes fell on the bright red article. It stood out against the cool tones of the bar and immediately she knew just who it was.

Kate sauntered over, her hips swinging thanks to the stilettos and took her place with a customer between her and the mark. Now all she had to do was order a cocktail, it was a classic that few knew even existed. She held up two fingers to flag down the bartender, she leaned against the counter and flashed a lopsided smile. The young bartender stepped before her; he was polishing a glass as she did so. He was so preoccupied that he didn’t make eye contact until he had finished his task.

The young brunets eyes widened a fraction as he looked at her, the glass he was polishing nearly slipped from his fingers, she was about to inquire what was wrong until she watched his eyes roam over he body. She internally rolled her eyes, he saw beautiful women all day and yet he was acting as though he had never seen one. She decided to indulge him and leaned against the counter so he got a clear view of her cleavage. Kate wasn’t a moron, she knew she was attractive and in this instance was going to use it to get what she wanted.

The bartender set the glass aside and swallowed, “M-May I help you?” he stammered. She chuckled as she leaned back and looked him over teasingly, “I’ll have a Blackjack,” she ordered. The Bartender stared at her for a moment and looked to the guy beside him. Obviously he had no idea how to make one. “I’ve got this,” said a lush voice. Kate watched as a man with white hair walked over, he had crimson eyes and nearly translucent skin. His lips curled as he picked up a silver shaker.

“Like risks?” asked a voice from beside her. Kate looked over to see a young man with dark curly hair sitting beside her, the man separating them had left. He had piercing green eyes, and a well trimmed beard. His nose was Romanesque with a chiseled jaw. He was tall with broad shoulders and Kate looked him over to see a bright red scarf around his neck, he was her mark and she wished it was in more than one way than one.

Her lips curled as she watched him jump to the barstool beside her, “Calculated ones, yes,” she replied as she turned her attention to him. The young man shrugged and flagged down another bartender, “Russian Roulette and don’t forget to load the gun,” he stated. Kate smiled now she just needed his remark, “I tend to like something less predictable.” She hummed as she watched the bartender out of the corner of her eye mix the Kailua coffee liquor with Dewar’s Scotch Whiskey.

“Not entirely true, you can still calculate the chances of being shot,” she stated. Her mark chuckled as he was presented with the glass before the bartender struck a match and lit the liquid. She watched the blue flames glow and he replied, “Yeah, the odds are always the same, but there’s no real strategy to get out of it, after all, you never know which round is your last.” With that her cocktail was placed before her, she could smell the combination of coffee, oranges and lemons as well as a touch of earthy whiskey.

She watched him extinguish the Russian Roulette and knock it back with the ease of an experienced drinker. The two bartenders left and the mark hummed, “Let’s move to a table,” he stated. Kate naturally complied, knowing all to well that such sensitive information could cause even more trouble. She followed him to a table off to the side and took a seat across from him. The music was still blaring and she strained to hear him. Once he was seated he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sphere.

The man leaned forward as though he were flirting with her and whispered, “Place you hand on the table palm up,” his voice was like velvet, yet didn’t have the same affect as the controlled tones of Ambassador Soval or Suran on her. She looked at him in confusion as she did as he asked. The young man placed the sphere in her palm and pressed several buttons on it. The small silver orb opened up and a blue light emanated from it.

“What are you?” she began to ask, only to realize she wasn’t shouting over the music, and that it had actually dimmed in volume. He smirked and looked at her, “Giving us a little privacy,” he stated as he winked. Kate was nearly gaping, “They can’t hear us, the only see us chatting and are being given the impression I’m flirting with you. We can hear one another, since the ambiance around us is dimmed,” he stated.

Kate looked at the small orb in her hand and wondered if the Vulcan’s possessed such a devise. It would certainly be beneficial. The young man before her noticed her expression, “I have several of them, you can keep that one, who knows it may come in handy. To use it just press the button on top, the thing is the other person has to have one on the same frequency,” he confessed. Blue eyes narrowed, that didn’t sound convenient, and part of her wondered how he was able to hear her until she realized he probably had a master one. “What if I only have the one?” she asked.

The brunet leaned back and hummed, “Easy, you two have to be touching or with in three feet of one another, like we are now.” Kate looked at the device and had a feeling this wasn’t the first time she would see technology like this, it was honestly a little larger than an average sized marble. She picked up her drink and pretended to take a sip, “Your sketch rang a couple bells this afternoon, to be honest I thought the place was going to go up in flames,” he mused. His expression turned sincere and she noticed the lines around his eyes that aged him, he wasn’t as young as he looked, that much was certain.

She had sent the sketch to star fleet, and yet now she was hearing that it was actually causing a great deal of distress. “We have been attempting to track a faction of radicals, calling themselves Terra Prime,” he began, “They’ve been around for a LONG time. In fact, your father was the first person to start the investigation.” Kate set her glass on the table and stared at him, her eyes wide, she didn’t know of this. Her father was daring but all she knew was that he had visited Vulcan on official business before his death. He had been attempting to build a stronger relationship with the Vulcan High Command, at first it appeared to be out of peace. However, now it seemed as though it were something else, what it was, she didn’t know. Yet, to hear this now, “When?” she asked swiftly, there was no way the trip was a coincidence.

The man before her looked at the table, searching his memory before responding, “Five years ago, about three months before he left for Vulcan. I don’t know the details, that’s just when his final log into the file was.” Three months before he had left for Vulcan, she closed her eyes in an attempt to remember his demeanor, only to find a wall there. It was strange, she couldn’t remember. She almost always remembered events such as this and yet this she couldn’t do. “Russian, tell me something, what was in the file?” she asked.

The Russian chuckled, “I suppose it’s an apt name since I did order a Russian Roulette, Blackjack,” he stated, “It was extensive, the point is that the sketch you sent us. The man you injured in the alley, he was in it.”

There was a pause as she began to process this information; she had shot someone in the file that her father had created, someone they had been hunting. “I don’t know how the fuck you managed it, but you shot one of the people we’ve been searching for, for over a year,” Russian stated, “The guy has been a shadow on the wall.” Shadows, impossible to catch but ever present, “How do you know it was him?” she asked with irritation. She didn’t know a single shadow that stepped off the wall and screamed it’s identity.

Long fingers swept through curly brown hair as green eyes flickered nervously over to her drink. “Remember that bombing six years ago in Manhattan at the UN building, while several off-worlder delegations were visiting?” he asked. The event was massive and resulted in the loss of 3,200 lives. The shockwaves shook the galactic community to the core and resulted in general distrust between humans and other species. 3,200 innocent people were killed in the blast, the explosive was believed to be a modified plasma charge, that utilized the basic premise of a nuclear weapon, but restrained enough so it only took out the UN. The damage was massive, it had taken out not only the UN but three blocks with it. She could still remember the fires, the rubble and her professor’s expression of pure panic as students were instructed to get to a safe location. That same day a threat had been made against UC Berkley.

“Yes, how could anyone forget?” she asked.

“You’d be surprised,” he replied sardonically.

She was silent as she waited for him to continue, “The man you shot and sketched is the same one who had placed the bomb in the building. You managed to injure Alec Milton,” he clasped his hands before him and continued, “We have been searching medical facilities but he hadn’t appeared. What ever was going to occur in that alley, there’s no way it was coincidence.” A sinking feeling filled Kate as she looked at the man before her. If he was in the alley, then the entire series of events wasn’t coincidence and not only were the Vulcan’s in danger but also every alien delegation on earth. This wasn’t just a mugging or angry individual, this was an assassination attempt, but a radical group.

Shifting into professionalism, abandoning her drink she asked, “What do we know of Terra Prime?” The Russian sighed as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a silver chain with a large crystal on it, “I can’t tell you, in fact, I’m not even supposed to be meeting you. If I wasn’t meeting with you, I wouldn’t tell you to look at this. If I were going to help you I wouldn’t state that you need to find you’re father’s files,” he stated as he pushed the necklace toward her, his eyes determined and she was about to question him when she noticed the white haired bartender was staring at them, and the orb wasn’t glowing. “I won’t even begin to tell you that the best thing to do is to drop this entire thing and force the Ambassador off Earth,” he stated, “Those are just things I can’t say.”

He dropped the pendant in her hand it was heavy in her palm. Curious blue eyes fell on the clear stone hanging from a silver chain, it was massive and looked to be several karats, in many ways it if it was a diamond it would be worth a fortune if it was. Before she could even say a word he was gone, and resting in his place was a card with his number, she looked at it and nearly gaped. She had been speaking with Commander Nathanial Stark, designer of the USS Enterprise. How he had even gotten the file was even more confusing. He shouldn’t have even been in that area of the mainframe and yet he had been.

After a moment of debate she put the necklace on and shoved the card in her pocket. She didn’t understand what she was supposed to do, he had eluded to giving her the files and instead he had shoved the necklace at her, it made no sense. Kate swiped her credit stick at the table and began to walk out of the club, the music was droning on and yet all her desire to party had fled. Her mind was now enveloped in a new set of problems, the person she shot in the alley hadn’t appeared in a medical attention center and her father was after these men. Yet just why her father had gone to Vulcan made no sense, especially after three months when he had known about the case for eight. Things weren’t adding up.

Kate picked up her jacket and helmet from a kid in the front before leaving the building. The cold air licked her skin; it sent a shiver down her spine as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Her heels clicked against the pavement as she walked over to her bike, her mind wandering back to the conversation as she did so. Stark had left so promptly that it was as though someone had forced him. She shook her head as she mounted her bike and turned the key, it roared to life after a moment. Nothing made sense, how Stark got the information was beyond her, he was a ship designer, not an investigator.

She slipped her helmet over her head and tugged at the zipper of her jacket one more time, she had slipped into it on her way out the door. It was then she felt the hairs on her neck stand up, she was being watched. Kate pulled out of the parking lot with ease, she didn’t want to alert who ever it was that she knew. At first she considered it paranoia, and would have dismissed it, until she pulled into traffic and noticed a black motorcycle tailing her. It was the perfect distance, far enough to be considered inconspicuous to those who weren’t trained and close enough to keep her within their scope.

Even in the reflections she knew the motorcycle didn’t have plates, which meant it the rider didn’t want to be followed. Alarm bells sounded in her mind as she swiftly formulated a plan. She had to get out of traffic where she was in the open. She had to reach the Consulate, her turf. After all, there was no way to tell if the rider was alone or working with a team.

Kate waited until a large flitter pulled between her and her tale. Her eyes lifted to a stop light and with little warning she gunned it as soon as it changed. With grace she began weaving through traffic, not a hint of fear swept across her mind as she did so, there wasn’t room for fear, she had to get to the consulate. She had to get off the street.

There was a roar and immediately she noted the black motorcycle attempting to catch up. She shifted rapidly and made a hasty exit, she was going to cut through the park. With ease she jumped the red bike onto the sidewalk, it’s tired screeched as she did a quick turn. She could smell the rubber burning from her tires as she took off down the sidewalk. Her body arched as she pressed her self closer into the bike in order to increase the aerodynamics of it. With a quick turn, she passed through a pair of large iron gates, which had kept the city out of the park and entered a dark realm of trees.

While it wasn’t legal to ride her bike in the park she could pull out her ID, and if she were pulled over she knew she would be safe. At least she hoped she was, yet, the words of Stark rung in her ears. The bomber got into the UN which meant someone had to check him in. Suddenly the option of replying on the police was null and void.

The sound of the two bikes tearing through the park echoed, it ripped through the once serene air. A cloud of dirt followed them, as their tires tore into the pathways and once well manicured lawns. The trees were a blur, all she could focus on was the narrow path which was dimly lit with basic chemical lamps, they were inexpensive and gave off little light. It was one of the many reasons why people avoided the park at night, at least the portion near the bay, the closer to the bridge the more people seemed to flock to it.

She cut across the lawn, her bike kicking up dirt as she did so, only to hear the signature sound of a phaser being fired. With a growl of iteration she quickly turned the bike and made for the dense trees, “Let’s see how good your aim is,” she hissed as she began dodging trees, stumps, down branches and rocks. It was pointless to fire back, especially since she was at the disadvantage. She would have to twist around to fire and that was, as Soval would point out, illogical.

The rider tailing her continued firing, with each shot he seemed to hit even closer to his mark. She noticed a shot whiz past her shoulder and hit a tree near her head, he was getting too close. Kate felt her heart pounding as her MACO training kicked in, she had to get out of danger. If she was to be of any use to Soval she had to be alive, and that was a simple fact. The Consulate was across the bridge, which in order to reach the bridge she had to get out of the park in less than four minutes. She shifted once again as she jumped off a knoll and continued through the trees before jumping onto a bicycle path. Her eyes narrowed as she attempted to break past a number of benches and oddly individuals out cycling.

“MOVE!” she shouted as the phaser was again discharged, resulting in screams from the pedestrians. Just as she rounded another corner she was close to an exit, and she could hear the other bike getting closer. Pedestrians were fleeing as soon as they noticed her. It was a massive commotion, everyone was attempting to get away at the same time, men and women of all ages were scrambling to get away. They were so alarmed and had all decided to exit at once, which resulted in a bottle neck forming.

She really hated the average citizen, especially since there was only one way to get out of the park and due to the panic they were now blocking it. Men, women and a few teenagers were pushing against the fences in an attempt to get out of the way. Kate grit her teeth, that was the issue with firing into civilians, they tended to flee and not think about the result of this action.

Her blue eyes frantically searched for another way out, and then she spotted it, a tow truck with a down ramp. The sound of police sirens filled the air, and she knew in moments she had to get out. Kate wheeled around and set herself up for a jump, she knew the odds were slim, but she wasn’t getting out of this without making a break for it. The jump was difficult because of the train tracks just outside of them, the train was a hover train that had been put in several years ago. It was fast but the issue was it created a deep gap.

Kate’s hands tightened on the handlebars, this was her one shot and she could hear the other rider coming. It was then she heard the screech of the train, now she knew what she had to do. Major Forrest sped toward the ramp and several people shouted, jumping out of her way and even a few telling her to stop. The issue was, if she stopped, she had a feeling things wouldn’t end well for her, or the pedestrians. The bike bounded over the surface of the trailer, she leaned forward in an attempt to maintain her balance thanks to the incline. She had a single shot to get out.

Several shots were fired in her direction, screams split the air as on lookers witness the jump. Yet she couldn’t hear a sound, all she could do was feel her tires leave the bed of the tow truck and begin to soar. The air rushed past her as she descended from the zenith of the jump, only now did she begin to pray that she had managed to time it right. Just as she was about to prepare for death the train appeared, it speed under her and Kate smiled as she felt the tires of her motorcycle make contact with it’s roof. The metal wined as she did so. Her tires screeched as she stopped, and her heart which had been pounding only then began to slow. Her blue eyes flickered back to the gaze, searching for the rider, only he wasn’t present. It was as though he hadn’t even existed. She got away, the issue was she had no idea who from.

The train continued its path until it made it to its next stop, which she was more than happy to get off of, now she just had to cross the bridge and she was home free. Who ever had been tailing her was a professional, there was no way it was a rookie, and they were too good. The spacing was perfect, the shots were very accurate despite the speeds they were going and it was too suspicious to be a separate event, especially after what she had learned from Stark.

The Golden Gate Bridge was empty and Kate took the liberty of speeding to the Consulate, she had no desire to stay out too long. She needed to figure out what was going on and in order to do that she needed to gain access to Star Fleet, or at least stay one place long enough to live another day. It wasn’t that she feared she couldn’t protect herself, there was simply something telling her to wait until she knew more. She didn’t like the notion of jumping into a battle blind, it unnerved her. She had to know everything about an enemy before engaging them, and since these people were invisible even to her father, that meant she had a whole lot more to do.

The consulate rose out of the street, and it’s usually foreboding façade was welcoming after the eventful evening she had. All she could do now was hope Soval was asleep, or meditating, both of which meant she would avoid him entirely.

Major Forrest pulled her motorcycle into the garage and looked over the scrapes, she would have to apply another coat of paint and look more closely in the morning. Currently she had more pressing matters to attend to, such as determine just what she had learned in the club. With ease she left the privet garage and headed toward the privet residence. Soval would be deep in meditation, which meant the odds of her running into him were slim to none. He always retired at the same time every evening for a long session of meditation, and in light of recent events she couldn’t blame him. Suran had explained it was how Soval kept himself in check, and he had to do it for both their sake and his own.

Her footsteps echoed in the darkness, most of the staff of the Consulate were either asleep or meditating. She had learned that many didn’t work constantly and often retired in the evenings to speak with family and the like. Not that she minded, she really didn’t want them to question her where-abouts. After slipping through the privet gardens she arrived at the private residence of the Ambassador. It was only then the soreness in her body was catching up to her.

Jumping her motorcycle onto the moving train wasn’t the greatest idea, but it was really her only means of escape. At least, it was in that moment. Kate opened the front door and slowly slipped through it, attempting to make as little noise as possible. With grace she slipped out of her stilletos and picked them up, she felt the cool necklace swing as she did so, hitting her collarbone. It was a reminder that she had to figure out what it was, Stark had acted as though it were the most valuable thing in the room. It was a large crystal, but she doubted it was a diamond, there was no way he would be willing to give it to a stranger.

Kate collected her heels in an attempt to make it look as though she hadn’t left, oddly the image of her being in high school and sneaking back into her house hit her. It wasn’t too far from it, considering how tight of a leash the Ambassador had kept her on. He had stated he wanted to get rid of her, and yet today, he didn’t. Instead he told her to rest, although she had given him grounds to fire her. She shook her head as she began to walk through the house.

Her eyes scanned the room in the dark, Soval didn’t move his furniture, which she was thankful for, after all she could barely see and didn’t feel like flipping over it. Her toes hit the plush carpet of the living room and she smiled she was close to getting to the stairs so she would be able to get to the second floor where she slept. Just as she was about to continue the lights flickered on, a click was heard from the other side of the room. The brightness of them assaulted her eyes. In seconds her phaser was out and she was aimed at the threat, which was where the clicking sound originated from. Just as her vision cleared she realized it wasn’t an intruder.

Sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, with his arms crossed was the one person she hoped would be asleep. He rose from the wooden chair and stood, his full height towering over her. He wasn’t wearing his robe and was dressed in a simple dove gray tunic and matching pants. Chocolate brown eyes narrowed, and she could practically feel the anger radiating off him. Kate lowered her weapon and swallowed thickly, “Ambassador Soval,” she squeaked. He took a step toward her, it was then she noticed he was barefoot; his feet were the same dark olive color, with a hint of green just under the skin.

He stopped before her, “Major Forrest,” his tone was clipped and made Kate take a step back.

~vOv~

Green, that was the only color he could see, the green flames of rage had engulfed his vision. Not only had she not obeyed him, but she had left the Consulate for a dangerous meeting, at a Rave – one of the unsafe places in the world for a woman of her appearance – and wore such an outfit out. Not to mention the fact that she didn’t have a communicator so he had no way to contact her, on top of the issue that she may have committed several crimes to get there. Angry was a word to describe his current condition, livid, however- that was certainly a word for it.

His eyes roved over her outfit, nothing was left to the imagination, people had seen her dressed in such a way. They had been able to gaze at her skin and breasts, to see her figure in such an intimate and unguarded way. As he took another step closer he smelt liquor, and the cologne of another man. “Where were you?” he ground out. He had enough, he had allowed her to do a great deal but not only had she been accused of breaking the law but she had participated in wild behavior that was risky. She could have put them all at risk.

Sky blue eyes that were as deep as the ocean widened, as her completion paled. “You have put us in danger. I was visited by Admiral Gardner today. He mentioned someone using another individual’s IP address to send a sketch and reroute information,” he stated, his tone growing even harsher as he spoke. He felt his control slipping, “You preach that you desire to protect me, and yet,” he seethed, the image of her being with another man flashed in his head, “yet, you have done something this reckless,” he seethed. Kate opened her mouth to speak and yet, no words fell from her lips. His eyes flickered down to the necklace and then back to her face, she had at least been compensated.

His hands clenched and Kate drew a deep breathe, “Ambassador, I suggest you get your temper under control,” she stated. Soval stared in shock, she had the gall to tell him what he was to do. He was about to shout when he noticed her tremble before him, “Sir, you are not sound. You need to relax,” she pleaded. Soval could hear her voice only he didn’t seem to have the will to snuff out his anger, the flames were wrapping around his mind. “Please, Soval,” she begged.

Soval, she had used his name. He froze in confusion, as she called again, “Soval, please, you must relax.” He slowly felt the flames dying down, as something soothing ran over his skin. His tempter was dying down and the green seemed to fade into the darkness from which it came. As his vision seemed to clear he found himself gripping her arms harshly, yet she wasn’t squirming, her face was twisted in pain and his eyes fell on a small hand wrapped around once of his wrists. Only then did he note she shook as a leaf in the powerful winds of a storm would.

With a hiss he released her, as though she had burned him, even though she had been the one to put out the fire. He stepped back and stared at the bruises that were quickly forming on her arms, he had made them. They were the same size and shape of his hands, he had harmed her. “I,” he began only to feel shame envelope him, he was so angry over the prospect of her being harmed that in his blindness he had harmed her himself. His eyes fell on his hands, only to see one of her delicate hands slipping into them, she was nervous and wondered if this was the right thing to do since Vulcan’s didn’t like physical contact.

He allowed her hands to rest on his as he closed his eyes and drew a deep breathe, pushing away his irritation. His mind slowly cleared as he did so, it was clear enough for him to function, and that was what had mattered. “Soval,” whispered Kate, concern lacing her voice, along with notes of fear and pain. He slowly opened his eyes and found himself looking into the sky. “Major Forrest,” he addressed her with as much professionalism as he could muster in that moment.

She slowly withdrew her hands with a small smile, oddly he wasn’t going to berate her for her behavior, after all it had prevented him from causing her more harm. “Where were you?” he implored once more, he had to hear it from her. He trusted Suran, but if she lied to him now, he would determine if he could keep her. He watched an expression of discomfort cross her features.

“I was at the Crystal Palace, a Rave,” she replied slowly, “I had received a reply on the sketch.” He eyed her form only to notice how stiff she seemed, and could tell it wasn’t only fear. “Sit, I will brew us some tea,” he commanded. She was in no position to fight him and from the way she looked and moved she was in pain. Kate nodded as she placed her shoes on the floor and sat on the sofa, he watched it dip as she did so.

It wasn’t until she had closed her eyes for a moment that he truly took a moment to admire her. His eyes roamed over her creamy skin, her soft facial features and lush curves. Her body was tones and he could tell she spent a significant amount time at the gym. The green top under the cream sweater made her glow. Even though the sweater seemed more like a fisherman’s net, it was quite appealing to look at. He loved being able to see her skin. His eyes traced down her curves to her hips, it was then he noted the faux leather pants, they were tight and clung to her like a second skin. It was also a fact that they matched the jacket she wore, although he had a feeling they were bought separately. The strand of red ribbon around her neck was the same deep shade of blood, and reminded him of it, a daring move.

A silver chain winked in the light, with a massive clear stone attached to it. The stone was an impressive size and it’s clarity spoke of only one stone he knew on Earth with the same characteristic shine, a diamond. Whoever she had met with, he was certainly wealthy and the relationship must have been a few months old.

Soval pushed such thoughts out of his head as he walked into the kitchen and began to boil water. It didn’t take long for him to make tea, he had settled on one with a muscle relaxant in it, in hopes she would sleep with its aid. When he returned he noticed how she was curled up on the sofa. The bruises were now turning a dark blue and he cringed. Just as he placed the mug on the coffee table did she open her eyes and look up at him. “Thanks,” she breathed after a moment, he watched her stretch and was reminded of a cat as she did so. Her motions were familiar, as though they were a forgotten dream, one of beauty and grace.

She collected the mug and held it tightly in her hands as she brought her legs under her, perching on the Sofa. “Why did you go there?” he asked, before taking a sip of tea. He watched over the rim as Kate looked into the mug of golden brown liquid. “Information, I was contacted after the sketch by an unknown individual. I attempted to track him down through his address, but it was a false account,” she stated, “I didn’t tell you because I wanted to make sure it was real before notifying you.” Soval was silent, she had gone to get information, which made him tense, but not as much as the thought of her looking for a partner for the evening.

She took a sip of the liquid, “Did you learn anything?” he asked curiously. Kate huffed in frustration and growled, “Yes and no.” How something was considered both a success and a failure often confused him, especially how humans responded to things. “The man I shot was a member of a group called Terra Prime, they are a terrorist group who’s primary goal is to force aliens off Earth,” she stated. Soval stared, Max’s words flashed back to him and he felt his blood go cold. His best friend’s prediction was coming true, despite his best efforts to prevent it.

Kate ignored his silence and continued, “Remember the bombing of the UN in Manhattan a few years ago? The man in the sketch placed the bomb.”

Soval immediately jumped in, “In order for that to have happened someone must have known him, or at least had some idea of what he was up to with a package of that nature,” he stated. Kate nodded, this was now a serious issue, it meant that not even the police could be trusted. The police who were in so many ways the keepers of peace on Earth could also be enemies. “His name was Alec Milton, Star Fleet has been searching medical facilities, but hasn’t found him. Even though I shot him,” she stated.

If this man wasn’t found he had disappeared underground, to the point that Star Fleet wouldn’t be able to track him down. What was worse was that despite the man’s injury he hadn’t been reported to any medical facility, which meant they had a doctor of their own. He doubted someone of his nature wouldn’t have one. “This is concerning, if he is a member of Terra Prime the other delegates will be in danger as well,” he stated, this wasn’t good, it was bad enough there was trade tension, but for tension on Earth due to tension between themselves and humans would only cause more problems.

He looked at the pendant around her neck and asked, “What else did you learn?” Kate slowly touched the necklace before reaching around the back to take it off. “My father knew they existed, he had known for a while. In fact three months before he left for Vulcan, he was the one who opened the investigation,” she replied. Max, Soval knew Max had known, however he didn’t understand why he had learned of it so late, or the fact that it had taken Max three months to consider aid from them.

It wasn’t right, in fact it was confusing. Max was the type of man to seek assistance when the situation called for it and had no issue asking for it. Why he hadn’t been asked for aid, or anyone else for that matter, was beyond him. Especially when their lives were concerned, there was more to this, there had to be.

Kate slipped the necklace off, “He couldn’t tell me anything else, we were being watched. He gave me this,” she stated as she held it out to him. Soval slowly held his hand out and felt the cool stone fall in his waiting palm. “He was acting like it would give us answered, I learned his name is Stark,” she explained. Soval froze and snapped to attention, “Stark, as in Commander Nathanial Carter-Stark, designer of the USS Enterprise?” he asked. She nodded after a moment, “How he got the info is beyond me,” she stated.

Soval turned the pendant over, Stark, that name was familiar and not just in Nathanial’s instance. He looked at the stone once again, there wasn’t a great deal of metal around it. “Doctor Nathan Stark,” he said slowly, “I met him years ago. He had shown me something rather interesting.” His eyes fell on the stone, the engineer was clever, so clever that the technology was nearly impossible to replicate. “He didn’t know I was an alien but when he had shown me, he was under the impression I was interested in having my corporation refitted, it was one of the many ways he checked just how far along you were as a race,” he explained.

The Ambassador held the diamond up to the light and watched it glitter, “He was on the cutting edge of technology. Unlike many he decided silicone and copper was the past, and the future was in something far more precious,” he stated. Kate was quiet and he watched the stone twirl, “Diamonds. He was able to store hundreds of terabits worth of information in a diamond. In fact he created an entire network of them,” he said with a hint of awe. His people hadn’t managed to do something like that until several years later.

He slowly closed his hand and looked at Kate, who now looked purely mystified, “This may be one of those Diamonds, he called them Logic Diamonds. If his descendent is anything like him, this would be the most secure way to hand the files off.” Kate’s gaze fell on the necklace, “That holds servers worth of stuff?” she asked curiously Soval nodded. Now all they had to do was read it.

Suran didn’t have the ability to do so and the technology on his planet was still prototypes. “We need a reader, I can’t get the information off this without it,” he stated. Kate sighed, he could tell this was going to frustrate her, “Why is it every step closer we get there is a new barrier?” she asked. Soval ignored her question, Nathanial had put himself in enough danger as it was, yet he didn’t understand why the need for secrecy.

“You stole an Ensign’s IP address to send the email,” he stated, causing Kate to look as though he had caught her again. He huffed as his eyes fell on the blonde, she was like her father when she did that, it was the one thing that made Max a terrible liar. “My emails weren’t being received, and I had a feeling someone was blocking my IP. I can’t access the servers without a Star Fleet issued one, so I kind of… borrowed one,” she replied, suddenly she found her hands to be immensely interesting as she fidgeted with them.

Her email was being blocked, which meant Star Fleet was also an issue, or at least someone high up. Now they were even more limited, “So rather than voice this to me you stole an IP?” he asked arching a brow. Kate crossed her arms and said pointedly, “Borrowed, I didn’t keep it. Besides I used it to send one email and rerouted the reply. Not like a robbed her blind.” Soval glared at her, one that he reserved for the naughty children in the Consulate, although at this moment she mind as well be one. “That is not the issue,” he stated.

Kate grumbled something before stating, “Look I didn’t have a choice, you can’t help me communicate with my own people. I did what I had to, so I cloned her device! I made sure to make sure it was impossible to trace!” If this were true than how Gardner knew confused him, “How did the Admiral find out?” he questioned. Kate was silent and she looked confused.

“That’s impossible; I routed through 43 international servers and bounced off a few space stations. There’s no way he could have traced it to me,” she stated. Now things fell in place, the emails weren’t blocked they were being rerouted, and he didn’t like where they may have been going, since it wasn’t official. Gardner had managed to reroute them, “You need to check your PADD,” he stated. Kate looked insulted, “Someone knows about the emails, and if Gardner knows than your PADD is compromised,” he explained.

Kate leapt from her seat to grab the device, “That’s impossible I wrote the code myself,” she muttered as she opened the PADD to it’s command window and began looking for the code that didn’t belong. “This is going to take a while,” she stated. Soval watched as she sat on the sofa and continued scrolling, “I will look into reading the crystal. However, from now on, if you are approached with any information, regardless of how valid you believe it to be, you are to tell me,” he stated.

The young blonde glared at him, her fingers tightening around the device, “Why?” she hissed. Soval clasped his hands behind his back and replied, “Simple, I want to know where you are to insure our safety, you didn’t have your communicator, and from here on, you shall always carry it.” She was going to argue until he held his hand up to stop her, “At this moment we do not know who are allies are, and who are friends might be. I don’t need to be put in a position where I find myself question your trust and vise versa.”

Bright blue eyes widened, “From this moment, you, myself and Suran are the only people we can trust. I am uncertain of any others I am able to trust, since the trade issues with my planet,” he explained. Kate oddly felt very alone, “What about Kruss?” she asked. Soval shook his head, to hear that he didn’t even trust his very own Head of Security shocked her, “T’Vok?” she asked.

Soval sighed, he hadn’t thought much about her, “I’m uncertain, as of current, she isn’t. That may change.”

Kate looked at her PADD before saying, “Then I have rules for you as well.”

Normally he would argue but seeing as she was one of his only allies, there was little point in doing so. “You are going to allow me to escort you everywhere, you will carry a communicator, and a knife at all times. Even in the Consulate,” she stated. A knife, she wanted him to carry a knife, “I would say phaser, but I know you’ll never agree,” she added. Soval nodded, he wouldn’t agree to that, so the knife was reasonable.

“You’re also going to allow me to do my job properly, which means telling me of any and all special events, allowing me to oversee preparations in security measures and heed my warning when it comes to modifications,” she stipulated. Soval found himself at a loss for words, in that moment she sounded like her father, and not the young woman he knew. She was just like Max, and clearly she had inherited his strength. “Understood,” he replied. 

She seemed to relax after that and he watched a lazy smile curve her lips, apparently she found something amusing. It was only then he realized that she had stated she saw him as a challenge and was more than happy to accept. “Suran will follow your rules as well, I will inform him in the morning,” Soval stated.

Kate accepted this with little irritation and he quickly vanished to grab his PADD and see if there was anyway to get his hands on a reader for the Logic Diamond, there had to be a few in existence still at least one at Global Dynamics, after all it was Stark’s Lab. After retrieving the PADD, he returned to the living room to see Kate slumped over her own. Her stylus moved with purpose and she had yet to realize he had returned. He had a feeling she would be this way until she finally passed out.

He took a seat across from her and began to contact the people he knew in the small town called Eureka.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

 


	7. A Thief's Desires

The room was still, except for the sweeping of a pair of stylus, and the occasionally creak of furniture as the room’s occupants shifted. Night had given way to morning, and the hours which had slipped away much like smoke through a key hole, seemed to catch up to its occupants. Chocolate eyes looked up from the PADD cradled in his long olive tones fingers, awareness sparked to life as he heard a soft sound fill the room, it was light and seemed to yearn for the light. Sprawled out on the sofa across from him was a lithe form which in that moment took his breathe away, he felt as though the air in the room had been stolen from him as he stared at the woman who had become his guard.

 

As the sun slipped over the windowsill, filling the room with golden light he watched as her bronze skin seemed to glow in the light. Just across from him, with only the coffee table serving as a boundary, was the young woman who he had only seen as a girl before then. She was sprawled across the sofa, her legs slipped over the armrest, dangling off it and crossed at the knee. One of her arms was tucked behind her head, creating a beautiful line that seemed to travel along her spine. Her golden blonde mien, it contrasted greatly against the dark green upholstery. In her free hand was the PADD, the stylus was tucked between her fingers loosely. Yet for the life of him he couldn’t determine where the melody emanated from, it sounded distant and yet familiar, as though it belonged to a forgotten dream which he had never had the opportunity to have, since Vulcan’s didn’t dream.

 

He slowly placed the PADD on his lap and watched with interest as she continued to read the screen, the haunting melody continuing with grace, its daunting distraught sounds caressing his ears as though he could hear their owner’s soul weep. He was drowning in it, gasping for air as the melody continued. Kate flickered through the codes, the melody growing ever more solemn and he wondered if such sadness haunted her mind, regardless of the time of day. “What is the piece called?” he asked after a moment, his curiosity getting the better of him.

 

Kate snapped out of her daze and the melody ceased, resulting in silence that was oddly comfortable. “Moonlight Sonata, a violin cover I used to play,” she replied after a moment. Beethoven, he had heard of the composer once before and in privet found his work agreeable to the ear. He knew she had played violin, he could still remember the piece she had played the first time he had met her at that Christmas Party so long ago. Time for a Vulcan always moved at a constant pace, it could be measured with precision and determined with ease as to its affect. Yet, with humans, this wasn’t quite how time affected them. In their world time was the enemy and all they desired to do was move faster and more accurate, to be precise but quick.

 

He looked down at his PADD once more and remarked, “It sounded familiar, the rendition is fascinating.” Kate was silent and he looked up to see her lost in thought before saying, “I’m glad, I doubt I could play it still, I’m rusty.” Soval tilted his head to the side, human idioms still confused him. She wasn’t covered in rust, nor did she look as though she were iron being oxidized, perhaps if she had been cut would it be appropriate, but even then it would be a stretch of logic. Before he could remark on the idiom Kate shot up, wide eyed.

 

Her sky blue eyes fell on him and there was a look of light in them that he hadn’t seen before. The glimmer in them screamed of recognition and in that moment she looked remarkably like Max when he had solved an issue that had been haunting them for an extended period of time. “Familiar, but not identical,” she said as she gestured wildly, her voice filled with excitement as she nearly bounced before him. Kate appeared something akin to a child seeing the world for the first time. He arched a brow at her peculiar behavior, “Familiar, but distant, of course! Why didn’t I see that!” she cried with pure joy, “That’s good, oh that’s really good, it’s brilliant actually,” she gushed as she began to pace.

 

Soval watched the human, apparently Max’s pacing was genetic, or at least he began to think it was since Kate also did it while deep in thought. “Ambassador, those weapons signatures, were they identical?” she asked. Confusion smashed into him as both his eyebrows lifted and he stared at her. “Yes,” he replied, now he really wanted to know what she was getting at. Kate ran her fingers through her messy golden blonde hair, he thought she was attempting to tame it only to realize she was pushing it out of her face.

 

“Do you have a monitor and the file still?” she asked quickly as she turned to him, she crossed her arms and looked at him expectantly. If it were one of his aids he would have chastised them for utilizing a veiled order, yet, this wasn’t like that. She was as Max would say, ‘on a role’ and if she were anything like him – which she was – then it was best to simply do as she desired. “Good, let’s get all the files on it, I have a feeling I know what’s going on,” she stated.

 

Diligently the Ambassador walked into his privet office, he had a large screen mounted on the wall to use while consulting the entire counsel on Vulcan, there were simply too many members for a small screen since the Revolution. Kate followed him quickly and closed the door as Soval synched the PADD up with the screen. The windows immediately grew larger and he watched as all 68 cases were displayed. Kate took a step closer and then pulled out her PADD, he was about to ask what she was doing until he noticed how she managed to connect her PADD to his, sharing only that file.

 

His eyes narrowed as he watched her look at the data before her, “Major Forrest, that is an act of theft,” he stated. Kate glanced over to him and smirked, “I already took myself off line, I’m running barebones, look do you want to see what I do or not?” she asked. Her voice was dark and dared him to argue, she wasn’t traditionally one to back down without a fight. However, he was interested in how she became so good with technology, it certainly wasn’t in MACO training to hijack IPs and networks, that was something a software programmer did, not a soldier.

 

The data was translated into what looked like frequency charts for an audio recording, nothing like the string of numbers he had been staring at for the past few weeks. “Major, what are you doing?” he asked slowly, he didn’t see how audio frequency charts would be part of a logical solution. The data was in code and numbers, not frequency charts, those were for recording and determining the variance of disciples in sound. “Okay, a little quiz, if I were to record myself speaking to you, using different microphones and then ran it through an audio analyzer would they be identical?” she asked as her fingers danced across the screen.

 

Soval turned his attention to the woman next to him, “No, there are a number of variables preventing the recordings from being identical. Such as background audio, recording volume, volume of your voice, pronunciation, and naturally the quality of the microphone,” he stated. Kate smirked, her lips curling up at the corners, in that moment she looked devious, much like a young Earth child who was up to something rather naughty. “Correct, wouldn’t a sensor do the same? There would be some form of variation based on the sensitivity of the sensor as well as positioning, not to mention the slight variation in crafting of the weapons,” she continued.

 

The Vulcan Ambassador turned his attention to the screen and watched as each of the frequency charts, which had been color coded snap together, creating one teal chart. “What is the probability that these would all match perfectly if they were from different ships?” she asked, a mocking note in her voice. “Approximately 0.1432%,” he replied almost instantaneously. It was a line of reasoning, but its relevance eluded him.

 

The VSA had been examining the data for weeks and had managed to make little progress with it. They had analyzed it a grand total of 78 ways, and yet none of them had done something like this. The reason why they had not approached it from such a view completely confounded him, then again it was one of the many reasons why he admired humans, ingenuity and creativity were two things they had in ample supply. Vulcans’ were governed by logic and reason, and would not dare to use the realm of art to inspire a solution, perhaps this new generation of Vulcans would see the connection, but he doubted it, the probability was simply too low.

 

Soval stared at the screen, all 68 recordings were identical. “So tell me, what was the probability that all 68 ships would have the same readings from different planets, with different sensor arrays and different classes?” she asked with a hint of mirth. He looked at her and then the screen, “This would imply that these readings are fakes due to the fact that they are identical, which is nearly impossible,” he stated as recognition seemed to dawn on him. Either these were 68 readings of the same ship and same sensor array, kept at top condition without a single weapon damaged or offline, which is highly unlikely or it was a single reading that was detected 68 times.

 

Kate nodded as she tucked her PADD under her arm and pointed to the screen, “Even if they were different readings from different ships they would still vary slightly, the question is now, just what is going on?” she posed the question as she tapped her index finger to her lip. Her eyes narrowed as she examined the information before her and Soval oddly realized for every piece of this puzzle they seemed to assemble, there were other unforeseen complications appearing.

 

He needed to ask Suran and inform the Vulcan Science Academy of Kate’s findings. There had to be an explanation, 68 copies of the same reading were impossible. He slowly stared at the screen unmoving, this had to mean that someone had taken the single reading and was sending it to other stations. His first thought was the Andorians, however, they had nothing to gain by sabotaging trade agreements. After the Vulcan Revolution money was abundant and a number of Vulcans were investing off world in trading companies and various sectors of the Galactic market. Andoria was one of the planets benefiting from Vulcan Credits more than the rest. In a matter of months their market was stabilized as interplanetary investing yielded a substantial economic growth period.

 

Vulcan technology was held as some of the most advanced, and while Andorians didn’t speak Vulcan the base technology could be adapted. Slowly Vulcan had been allowing small technological advancements to leave its orbit and into the markets of Andoria. There was the matter of projecting this recording as well, it would require a great deal of technological knowledge, and advancement, which meant it was out of the grasps of some species. Not even the Vulcan Science Academe had experimented with the notion that it was possible to make one craft sound like another, while the idea held promise for stealth, it also made him question the benefit.

 

Star Fleet should have picked up on this fact, yet they had not either, which made him wonder if it were on purpose, or if it were simply just as unusual to a majority of humans as it were to Vulcans. He turned his attention to Kate who was still mulling over the topic only then did he realize she hadn’t slept, neither of them had, and it was time for them to get to work. “Have you checked your PADD?” he asked after a moment. He didn’t like the idea that it had been compromised, if they were able to get into her PADD, they could use it to take control of the Consulate. Vulcan security was impressive, however, Kate wasn’t an armature either, which meant her code was just as stringent.

 

She finally peeled her gaze from the screen and looked at him, “I went through the base code and apparently someone decided to gift me a Trojan,” she stated with a shrug, “and then turned on several mirror controls I had off to create a virtual mirror of my PADD. They can’t alter what I do, but they are able to see my work and potentially stop uploads.” The Ambassador went still. He had no idea what a wooden horse had to do with someone getting into her PADD, but from what she had stated it wasn’t good. In fact, he would classify this as a major issue.

 

Suran typically handled things of this nature, “Is there anyway to remove it?” asked Soval as he began to think of a way for her to work on their system without the PADD, but not alert whoever was watching her.

 

Kate sighed, it wasn’t a comforting one, “Yup, but I think I’m going to keep it,” she said with a smirk. He stared at her, she had admitted it was a breech in security and yet now she wanted to keep it as though it were as easy of taking in a wild Sehlot and calling it a pet. “What?” he asked, his control was being strained and she seemed to detect it. “Look, if I remove it, they will know and things might get worse. Who knows what else they would put in place,” she stated, “I can keep it and perhaps use it to our advantage.”

 

Advantage, which was a word he had learned to equate to humans risking something to gain something greater, it didn’t necessarily mean they had one. Unease settled in his veins, it was alien to him, and he filed the notion away to meditate upon. “How something this risky would be considered an advantage?” he asked. Kate hummed as she held her hand out for his PADD. “Is this screen on the network?” she asked.

 

Soval watched as she pulled him off the network and severed the link between him self and the screen. “No,” he replied as she handed the PADD back to him. She isolated her tablet and he watched as she displayed the code, “Okay, here’s how these babies work. See this?” she asked as she pointed to a section on the screen. Soval nodded as he stared at what was clearly code, he was unfamiliar with human code, and made a mental note to propose a general coding, similar to Federation Standard. “That is the Trojan’s homing beacon so it can call home regularly to report like a good soldier, and terminate it’s self when the command is given.”

 

A fragment of code that seemed to be extra, turned out to be curtail. It was similar to how systems on Vulcan operated, just he hadn’t seen something worm it’s way into a device in such an odd way. Vulcans could monitor systems, but it typically was noticeable and both parties were well aware of this tap. Kate scrolled through the code and he watched the line flicker by, it was a small portion of the large whole in a mess of numbers and commands. “I can use this section to track him back, with a little work of course, because who ever infected me knows his shit,” she stated.

 

She curse, she just cursed before him, his eyes narrowed as he shot her a warning glare. Kate smiled and stated, “Yes, I can curse, besides I hung out with techies, you think I don’t know the lingo?” She was using words he was certain were made up, since he had no clue what a techie was. “Technical consultant also known as IT, seriously if you want to learn anything ask them. They can teach you everything from how the latest in banking programs works to how to steal IPs, identities and even create an alias,” she explained.

 

At least now he knew where she learned these things, even if he didn’t approve of them. “Those are not things to tell an Ambassador,” he stated flatly, they really weren’t. Kate hummed as she disconnected her PADD from the screen and then reissued his on the network. “How else am I supposed to protect you? Who better than a thief to protect a safe?” she asked with a grin.

 

“Why would I have a thief protect a safe? That is illogical, I would be more concerned with the thief stealing its contents rather than protecting it,” he stated sternly, it was not practical to ask a thief to guard anything of value. He knew Kate had stolen and IP and clearly knew how to do what she had just said, yet, he also knew he could trust her. How he knew that was still a mystery, even though he could trust Max and the letter told him to not doubt her, it didn’t impact him. This feeling of trust was forging, Kate chuckled.

 

The rich sound caressed his ears much like her humming had, it was dark, sultry and stirred something long forgotten in him. She was smirking, the way her lips lifted at the corners and the gleam of mirth in her eyes seemed to make him desire to see the expression more. “Because, the thief would know how the other thieves think. Besides, who’s to say what she desires is in the safe?” she asked before the sound of her communicator chirping summoned her attention.

 

She pulled the black device from her pocket and sighed, “Apparently Kruss wants to go over some footage, be careful with that information.” Kate was out the door before he could say anymore and he stared after her. His eyebrows were lifted as he asked, “What could possibly be outside the safe that the thief would want?”

 

~~CT~~

 

Balance, a concept which has managed to escape most of man for millenniums. The very force that has proven to be the most powerful in the cosmos, is also the one which people underestimate. It is the understanding that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction in order to prevent the scales from crashing to the floor. A single act of kindness is counter balanced with misfortune for an individual somewhere in the cosmos. Its cosmic balance is as powerful as the mighty sand fires of Vulcan but delicate as the thin pottery created by masters.

 

To be at balance is to be at peace and accept. Acceptance of the universe for all it is, all it has been, all it will be, and all it could be. To accept that there are limits and at the same time it is limitless. To exist and not at the same time, a notion which even for a Vulcan is abstract, to be alive and dead all at once in order for even a modicum of understanding to be gifted to an individual. The wind off the bay swept through the gardens, ruffling the leaves of several trees and causing the Vulcan Lilies to sway.

 

Sitting in silence was Suran. His eyes were closed as he focused on his breath, the gift of his mother, the blessing of his father, and measure of his mind. The crunch of gravel under foot pulled him out of his light trans, he didn’t typically meditate during the day, but had felt the urge to. Soval was speaking with the Vulcan Science Academy and Kate had been with Kruss discussing security. He had spent a majority of his time transcribing documents and looking into another PADD for Kate. Soval had asked for him to find one for her to use, something small, light and much more powerful than her Star Fleet issued one.

 

He hadn’t explained his reasons, however he had stated that she had to be able to access it’s base code and have the highest quality security software loaded, which would be difficult to get the VSA to relinquish. His blue eyes opened to see a pair of sky blue eyes looking back at him. Sitting across from him, crossed legged was Kate. She was dressed in a black suit, which confused him for a moment.

 

Kate noticed as she rested her hands on her shins, “Soval asked for me to wear this instead of my uniform, it seemed to put the staff at ease,” she explained simply. Suran was silent, that wasn’t the reason. He knew the reason, Soval didn’t like being reminded that she was a soldier, his best friend’s daughter had become a soldier, the one thing he hoped she wouldn’t become. He hadn’t seen Soval at peace with himself for five years, ever since Max had died. Peace had evaded Soval, and it made Suran tense simply watching the Ambassador attempt to function.

 

“What can I do for you Major? Has Osu asked for me?” he asked simply, Soval knew where he was but had a feeling he had sent Kate to get her to take a break. Kate shook her head and asked, “Can we talk?” Suran was silent, they were conversing, however the expression on her face stated that this conversation was one to be had with tea and apples. He nodded before making a move to stand only for the young blonde to hold her hand up. “Don’t, I like it out here, it’s not as constricting,” she whispered, her cheeks turned a little pink and he realized she was embarrassed.

 

Suran looked at her knowingly, she didn’t want anyone to overhear them, and the garden was empty. “What is it?” he asked after a moment. Kate went still, she was sorting through her thoughts, and he learned a while ago to not rush her. Patients was the key to understanding, “I should have listened to your advice, I upset the Ambassador,” she began, “He…” Kate hung her head and began to examine her hands. The wind blew through the garden, ruffling her hair as it did so.

 

She slowly lifted her gaze, “He was so angry, it looked as though his emotions would burn him,” she said softly, he could hear her self loathing in her tone. It wasn’t something a usually confident MACO would exhibit, no soldier ever showed sign of weakness. She wasn’t a MACO or Major Forrest, the young woman before him was Kate, a girl he had come to know and rely on. “I’ve never seen him like that,” she stated, “He was so different.” Only once had he seen Soval’s temper flare, only once had the Ambassador had lost control while he had been working with him.

 

The memory was crisp and clear, it was after he had met Admiral Forrest the first time. He had made the mistake of stating that humans weren’t ready to see the stars, they weren’t in control of their emotions and would cause harm to every established culture, both pre-warp and beyond. Soval had rounded on him after the remark; they were within the confines of the Vulcan Consulate when he snapped. In that second, he defended humanity, he stated that he hoped humans would reach out to the stars and travel among the worlds. That they would be able to venture into the unknown and beyond, without fear. Soval saw a future for humanity that no one else did. The Ambassador’s clipped tone and searing anger still stung.

 

 _“You know nothing of humans, there will be a day where they will be our greatest allies. For all their emotion they show the ability to see reason and restraint. Do not underestimate them, never look down upon them, as soon as you do you become **Vulcan** ,”_ he had stated.

 

It took many years for him to understand what Soval had meant by stating that his outlook made him Vulcan. He was award that he was Vulcan and saw no logic behind Soval’s statement. He meditated on the statement for hours, it wasn’t until the death of Admiral Forrest he understood what Soval had meant. He wasn’t referring to their biology at all, but the general view of humans held by a majority of Vulcans. It had taken the loss of a wonderful human to result in this understanding, the man who was the father of the young woman who dedicated herself to the task of keeping them safe.

 

He drew a deep breathe before responding, “It disturbed you,” it wasn’t a question, he knew it had. The very way she was acting was an indicator, she seemed nervous as though she had broken a priceless antique. Kate tucked a strand of hair which had fallen free from her tight bun behind her ear and nodded. “Vulcans are not emotionless, in fact, we have very powerful emotions. Anger is one of the most powerful for us,” he explained, “Did he harm you?” he asked after a moment. He knew all too well that some Vulcan’s became violent when agitated, it was one of the many things which young Vulcans were taught to control.

 

Rage was a powerful emotion, it often resulted in violence, it was what had caused the Great Awakening in the first place and allowed for Surak to become their teacher. Surak had served as their guide to prevent Vulcans’ from tearing themselves apart. Violence, rage and aggression were not strangers to the mind of a Vulcan, in fact they were often plagues which haunted them. They hid behind carefully constructed fortifications crafted to keep them at bay.

 

Slender fingers wrapped around her biceps only for her to hiss, “He just grabbed me, it’s a bruise, it was more his reaction when he realized what happened,” she paused for a moment before looking into his eyes, “He looked as though I had hurt him. He looked so hurt and upset, I didn’t think he could.” Kate had seen him during the funeral in a rare moment of weakness when his emotions seemed to seep through his walls, but the night before clearly was far more vivid.

 

It would explain Soval’s unusual attitude that morning, Soval seemed distant, colder than usual and more withdrawn as though he feared contact with any living thing would harm it. The position of Ambassador was demanding, it called for unwavering fortitude and confidence, the ability to meet opponents in the diplomatic field and make decisions that affected nearly 3 billion lives on Vulcan as well as all their allies. “Anger is powerful, it causes us to do things which we normally would not, in Osu’s case, he was so blinded by rage that rather than protect you, he brought you harm,” he explained in a soft tone, one he had reserved for speaking with a child, because in that moment Kate was a child, “he is disgusted with himself for losing control, it is not the Vulcan way.”

 

Kate’s eyes narrowed, “Wait, he’s upset because he lost his temper? How do you’re people express themselves if they are unable to voice discomfort?” she asked. The questions loomed in the air for a moment, “We frequently voice discomfort,” he stated. The young woman before him shook her head and glared at him harshly, it was intense and for a moment he wondered if she could see through him. “Not what I meant and you know it,” she stated, she was becoming exasperated and he could hear her pulse elevate.

 

Suran placed his hands on his knees, they rested upon the supple fabric of his robes heavily, the weight of her questions pulled them down. “Emotional discomfort is traditionally hidden and we meditate on it to determine it’s cause. Never are we to physically display emotion for it may escalate and lead to violence,” the fear of losing control, one that seemed to haunt every Vulcan. Kate’s brow furrowed in confusion as she crossed her arms across her chest, “Wait, then what about art? I’ve seen your art, and it’s exquisite, doesn’t that require emotions?” she asked keenly.

 

Art on Vulcan was once looked down upon, unless an item had a function Vulcan’s saw no purpose to create it. However, that was previously, currently Vulcan was experiencing a swing in beliefs, that art had a purpose, to communicate the abstract. “Artists do have emotion, but many times their pieces focus on restraint and the understanding of emotion,” he replied, “Osu is the Ambassador, he can not afford such luxuries.”

 

He knew he was being harsh, however, she had to see it, to understand that Soval wasn’t always collected, he was Vulcan, and capable of making mistakes. “Kruss, why doesn’t he trust Kruss?” she asked after a moment. Suran’s attention honed in on her, Kruss, of all the things to ask about she had asked about Kruss. The one thing he never hoped she would ask him, “Let us walk, it’s wonderful out and the grounds are barren this time of day,” he stated as he rose from his cushion which he had taken outside. The young Major was about to protest until he already opened the exterior gate, he wasn’t going to hold this conversation so close to the Ambassador, or anyone else who might hear it.

 

Kate’s footsteps echoed in his head as she walked over to him and followed suit. He glanced over to her, she didn’t look thrilled, he couldn’t blame her. He was being cryptic, it wasn’t something he did often. He slowly guided her through the grounds and as they walked further away from the spacious Privet Residence and Consulate, they were greeted by sprawling lawns, with trees and tables, all of which were empty. Not even a restless Sehlot was out with it’s master, everyone was working. Even though he had planned on meditating on his break, he decided this was something she needed to know. She would never understand Soval if he didn’t explain, at least the part he knew.

 

There was a rustle of leaves as he brushed against a bush, and the scent of freshly cut grass hung in the air. He could feel the dampness from the salty sea air cling to his skin. “Osu was married once, a long time ago,” he began, “Her name wasT'Androma, she was bound to him at the age of seven, like all Vulcan’s are. At first the union was one of discord, neither family was satisfied with the notion, but they were in not position to object. It was made out of desperation and necessity.

 

“T’Androma’s clan had accepted the proposal and decided to create a bond between Osu and their young daughter, who was the same age. As time passed and Soval went from a simple soldier to a diplomat, T’Androma grew closer to him, at first it was because of his new status. It wasn’t until later she saw Osu as an individual an not a reputation. T’Androma had actually gone against her family, she became an architect, they didn’t desire that life for their daughter, she was supposed to be a doctor or even linguist.

 

“Yet for T’Androma the world of steel and glass intrigued her. Despite her clan’s displeasure, she went to school and became one of the leading Vulcan architects. She designed the consulate as well as it’s gardens and the Ambassador’s Residence,” he explained only to pause. Kate had stopped and was looking at the building that was made of glass, steel and concrete. He examined how the steel seemed to ebb and flow, it was as though it were alive. The simplicity of a line had made the Consulate one of the most aesthetically pleasing buildings in Sausalito.

 

Sky blue eyes widened with shock as she whispered, “The Ambassador’s wife? I thought the Consulate existed before her.” Clearly Kate knew her history and Suran nodded, she was correct and few knew of Soval’s battle to have the Consulate built.

 

“It did, however, she had designed this compound and Soval was determined to have it built. The one which had been constructed previously was falling apart due to a grievous miscalculation on the part of the engineers who aided the architect. The building had been constructed by humans, so Osu decided to have a Vulcan building erected to represent the people of Vulcan. T’Androma had worked hard on these drawings and designs, it was a gift to Osu when he was informed that he would become the Ambassador in hopes that one day he would reside inside it.

 

“By that time 50 years had passed, and Osu was married with a young daughter named T'Zantha, who was working toward becoming what you would call a metaphysics. T’Androma had indeed grown fond of Osu, not that she would admit it, and decided to build a family with him. It wasn’t uncommon for her to aid him when he required her, or to see her visit his office. She balanced him, a gentle touch that was required to keep the aggression at bay, a woman who was always by his side despite the battle’s odds,” he paused as he took her down another path, he wanted to take this conversation slowly, it was a lot to take in.

 

He glanced over at Kate to see if she was still there, only to meet her expecting gaze. She seemed to be one of the better listeners he had met. “Osu during that time was rather content, he had a family and a prospering career. He had been given the notice that he was to become the Ambassador to another planet, one that wasn’t Earth, in the system. T’Androma was proud and had made reservations at a restaurant, with T’Zantha who had just been accepted to the Vulcan Science Academy. It was to be an evening of respectful celebration, and a moment to embrace being a family.”

 

The memory came to haunt him, it was of a man who had once been caught smiling – as much as any Vulcan would allow – a relaxed man who was simply enjoying his life. One with a wife to hold at night and remind him that he was both necessary and desired. A man, with a daughter who was as intelligent as he was, and played a beautiful lute which he had taught her to play at an early age, the version of the Ambassador which had vanished in the blink of an eye, and was replaced with a distant and cold Vulcan, one who was terrified to feel. He would never be able to forget the expression of agony on his face.

 

“Osu was leaving his office when there had been reports of a group of Romulans infiltrating the capital. Immediately he had been called to aid the rest of the High Command in apprehending them, and ensuring no one was harmed. It was unusual for an Ambassador to be informed and moved into the High Command’s privet rooms, however, he had been responsible for destroying the Romulan armada and negotiating terms of surrender, after having desolated several moons and important trade posts,” he listened to her hiss with displeasure.

 

It wasn’t a pleasant thought, the Romulans were emotional, dark, paranoid and capable of holding a grudge for a very long time. “Chaos broke out as several charges were detonated all over the capital. A total of 23 separate explosions occurred, all varying in magnitude, 1,456 people had perished that day,” he could still hear the screams from across the lobby of the High Command. The smell of fires lingered in the memory, as well as the waves of fear from not only the average citizen but the High Command as well. “T’Androma and T'Zantha were instructed to come to the High Command, where they would be protected after it was reveled that Osu was the target and the Romulans weren’t below killing his family instead,” he could still remember the frantic commands as the Ambassador fought to get them to safety.

 

Silence stretched between them as Suran tumbled into the memory, “What happened?” asked Kate hesitantly, it was hesitant, as though she knew she was causing him pain. She had proven to be far more observant than most individuals realized which made her an asset. “T’Androma and T’Zantha were commanded to change their destination and flew an aircraft to the High Command. Osu was standing in the hallway waiting for their arrival, nervousness had set him on edge and everyone who surrounded him could feel it. The aircraft arrived but they never made it,” Suran said softly as his eyes fell on a white Vulcan lily, which had somehow been planted outside the garden.

 

The lonesome flower stood proud in blistering sun, it’s delicate white peddles lifted to the sky, as though the flower were craning it’s neck to get a better view of the stars. “The craft exploded outside of the High Command. His wife and daughter, were trapped inside. The locks had been tampered with and the vehicle had been altered so that it would explode when it arrived at its destination,” he said softly, his voice was low and for a brief moment he remembered the grief.

 

The grief which had consumed the Ambassador, the guilt and horror on his face as he watched his family be ripped away from him. Even on Vulcan such a loss was tragic. A sigh emanated from his side, he looked out of the corner of his eye to see Kate slightly slumped, and staring at the ground, her hands in her pockets. She wore an expression of sorrow on her face, which oddly touched him. Very few could understand this feeling, “Where does Kruss fit it?” she asked after a moment.

 

Suran stopped and turned to her, “Kruss was Osu’s Head of Security, he had been tasked with the transportation of his family,” he stated bluntly. Kruss, the same Vulcan who was the Head of Security in the Consulate. How the High Command had overlooked the incident and placed him with Soval was still a mystery. For most in Kruss’ line of work they would have been reprimanded and fired for inability to follow orders and protect their charges.

 

“Kruss as the Head of Security,” she whispered, “He didn’t check the craft, what was he doing?” her tone became dark and Suran suppressed a wince. He didn’t reply, he didn’t know, no one knew what Kruss had been doing, nor did he offer any explanation. “I do not know, no one does. All I know is that this error was waved and he was on a shuttle to the starship to be taken to Earth,” he said after a moment. It wasn’t a mystery why Soval didn’t trust Kruss, his wife and daughter had paid the price of his negligence. Suran resumed walking, however, he paused after his sixth step.

 

Kate wasn’t by his side. He turned around to see a sight that confused him more than any other. Major Forrest’s jaw was set and her eyes narrowed, yet tears fell freely from those usually bright sky blue eyes. Two crystal beads of agony, the only evidence of sorrow humanity had to offer, it was far more than anyone had done for the Ambassador. He stood before her and watched as she swiped at her tears with her hand. “He lost his wife and daughter,” she whispered, “no wonder why he had given me comfort that day.”

 

Suran was taken aback, Kate was haunted by her father’s death. Only now did he realize that it wasn’t the loss of a man’s wife and daughter, it was the understanding of that pain. The pain of losing a family, one she knew too well. “He lost his family,” she whispered, “No wonder why he became so agitated.” He felt as though he were a fish out of water in that moment, he didn’t have experience with crying humans. There was a primitive part of his mind which screamed for him to touch her, humans responded well to physical contact.

 

Unease settled in Suran as he lifted his hand, he didn’t want to feel her pain so he fortified his defenses, he simply wished to soothe. His hand rested atop her shoulder, it was trembling under his fingers, even the brave need a reprieve. She lifted her gaze, tears still fell and her eyes became irritated, his hand remained on her shoulder as he attempted to give her some of his peace, just a modicum of peace to soothe her wounds and even his in an unusual way. Kate smiled weakly and whispered, “Thank you, Suran.”

 

~~vOv~~

 

Stars flew past the window, leaving white streaks as they passed against an ink black sky. The hum of warp engines seemed to echo through the ship, the evidence of a life long legacy. They were the product of dreams that span centuries, human desires to reach out and touch the stars and now they were flying through them. Hazel eyes fell on the sketches of the _Enterprise_ _,_ she was one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen. The moment he had seen the drawings present by Stark as a child to his father, Henry, he knew the _Enterprise_ was his. He leaned back on his bed and ran his hand affectionately over Porthos soft fur. The Beagle had long since fallen asleep, his soft snoring soothing his mind.

 

He chuckled as he remember who had suggested naming the K9. He had acquired Porthos several years ago, it was Kate who had suggested the name. At first he didn’t understand, he had thought it was the name of a philosopher or scientist, only to learn it was the name of one of the three musketeers. She had stated it was perfect for him because he was the first, she was the second and Porthos was the third, three musketeers. Archer smiled a little, Kate was 18 when she named him and while the notion was childish, it was also clever.

 

The door chimed causing Porthos to stir and turned his head toward it, “Enter,” he called, to see the door slide open. Standing before him was his First Officer, Commander T’Pol and Trip was at her side. It was no secret that the two were an excellent match, now if only he could get them to see it as well. He mentally chastised himself. They wouldn’t have sought him out if it weren’t important. “Captain, a package was discovered among my affects,” said Trip slowly as he held out a box. It was a dark brown one, the color was so deep that he thought it was black. It was covered in vines, intricate and delicate, something that didn’t belong on a starship but the desk of an important diplomat.

 

Archer held his hands out for it curiously. He recognized it from somewhere but couldn’t place it. Trip placed the box in his hands, it was much heavier than he perceived it to be and he noticed the bronze hinges and latch. Only upon further inspection did he realize it wasn’t brown but a dark and fierce red. Now upon inspection he could see the ware, the finish had a few scratches in it and he felt the deep carvings under his fingers. “T’Pol any idea where it’s from?” asked Archer curiously as he turned the box around in his hands.

 

T’Pol paused for a moment before stating simply, “No, Captain. The wood is from Earth as is the craftsmanship, however, I’m uncertain to its specific origin.” He slowly held the box before him and ran his fingers over the edge; he knew the box but couldn’t place it. It irritated him slightly, yet it didn’t explain why they came to him. “Trip, any idea as to how it came into your possession?” he asked keenly, he loved a good mystery but not when it came to a potential security breech that could lead to harm for his command. Trip sighed and replied earnestly, “No, Cap. I hadn’t finished unpacking until now, it was in the bottom of my rucksack, didn’t realize it was there until T’Pol found it.”

 

A rucksack, something that nearly anyone had access to, “I scanned the box, sir, it doesn’t contain anything harmful,” T’Pol said after a moment. He could tell she was just as intrigued by it as he was. The box was large and flat, “What’s it made of?” asked Archer, he had seen many woods but this one was so deep in color it made him question his knowledge of the finer things. “Bois de Rose, a wood found in Madagascar. The tree it was harvested from is actually endangered and this box is an excellent example,” T’Pol stated, “It was illegally harvested in 2010 by the Chinese, I’m uncertain if this box was made legally. In 2067, they were declared endangered and nearly went instinct. There are several preserves dedicated to preserving the tree.”

 

Archer continued to look at the wood, it was beautiful and he could understand why people desired it so much. He looked to Trip and asked, “Did you open it?” The engineer shook his head and Archer hummed, clearly they had left such an honor to him. “Alright then, let’s have a look,” he stated as he placed the box on his lap. He lifted the latch and stared at what was nestled inside, a thick well worn notebook and an envelope addressed to himself, Trip and oddly T’Pol in free flowing script that made his heart stop.

 

With great care he pulled the piece of ivory paper out and placed the box off to the side. “Captain?” asked Trip with a hint of concern. Archer ignored him as he turned the envelope over in his hands, it had been years since he had seen that script. The last time he had seen it was on a letter addressed to him five years ago after the death of Admiral Forrest. He slowly opened it and pulled out the thin paper, it was as fragile as vellum. He unfolded the letter and fought the wave of sadness that seemed to creep up on him.

 

His hazel eyes lifted from the script and he found himself being watched by two sets of concerned eyes. “It’s from the Admiral, Admiral Forrest,” he said after a moment. Instantly the room fell silent and Trip was slowly approaching him, his head hanging solemnly, giving the deceased Admiral respect. T’Pol had her eyes closed and he could tell she was reflecting upon this moment. It was one that for every member of the _Enterprise_ was still sensitive. No one spoke of the late Admiral, it was simply too painful.

 

Trip cleared his throat and asked, “What’s it say?”

 

Archer reverted his gaze to the note before he began to read it aloud.

 

“ _Captain Jonathan Archer, First Officer Commander T’Pol, and Chief Engineer Commander Charles Tucker III,_

_By now you will have found this box and the journal inside it. I had asked a friend of ours to sneak it on board the Enterprise in the case of my death. I am well aware that each of you would have agreed to take it if I had asked, but I needed to ensure it was safe. There is so much turmoil in the universe and the only place I could think of it being secure was with you three._

_When you return to Earth, please give Katharine this journal. However, before then, I suggest that you read it, all of you. This journal contains information you will need, at the time I was unaware of what I had come across but now, I know all too well that what I know will and can kill me._

_Good Luck and God Speed,_

_Live Long and Prosper,_

_Maxwell Forrest, Admiral of Starfleet_ ”

 

The three looked at the box now resting on the bed. The journal contained the thoughts, memories and knowledge of the Admiral, Katharine’s father. Archer placed the note in the lid of the box and picked up the well worn volume, it was thick and heavy. Paper was probably the only safe way to leave such information behind without it being detected by another individual. He opened the book carefully, the smell of aged paper caressed his nose, a subtle reminded of the kind of man the Admiral was.

Once he had opened the journal he found an envelope addressed, _Kitty_. He placed it in the box and looked up at Trip and T’Pol. “We will honor his request,” said Archer sternly, it was one last order, one more that he would see to, to the very end, personally. Trip’s head was held high and his blue eyes glittered with a familiar strength he had come to rely on. “Of course, what do you want us to do?” asked Trip, his accent coating each word lightly. It was sweet and soft, the only time Archer heard it this strongly was in times of great sorrow.

 

The Captain looked at T’Pol and asked, “Can we contact the Vulcans? Something tells me there are things in this journal they need to know as well.” T’Pol paused, her dark brown eyes were locked on his before she replied, “Yes, I will have Hoshi establish a link and speak with the new government. Minister Kuvak will want to know what is in the journal.” Archer nodded, he had a feeling he would, Admiral Forrest was one of the few humans on Earth which Vulcan’s had seen as an ally. Of course they wanted to know if their secrets were safe, and if there was information that could aid them. Even though the note hadn’t said to share, he had a feeling the Admiral knew they would as soon as they found it.

 

The journal was heavy in his palms, the weight of the Admiral’s life filled it, and from what he could tell it started the moment he had met his wife, Elaine. In those pages, the Admiral was alive and well, he could live forever in the confines of the volume. “I will contact Vulcan,” said T’Pol softly before dismissing herself, taking Trip with her. Gently he opened the book and gingerly touched the pages as though he were handling the soul of the man who had written it.

 

Even though he had been given permission he felt as though he were trespassing. It was odd to read the thoughts of the man he had admired for years, and one who had recruited him and challenged him to do better, to go further, and explore the furthest reaches of the universe. Just as he began to read the first page he heard the bridge paging him. He placed the journal aside and walked over to the communication panel.

 

“Archer,” he replied, his eyes were staring at the device in the wall, there was no way they had contacted Vulcan so quickly. “Sir, it’s Minister Kuvak, he is asking to speak with you,” she said. Apparently it was possible, either that or they had intended to contact him before they even found the book. He hummed, the timing was unusual, but he shook it off. “Transfer him to my ready room,” he commanded, “Archer, out.” Once off the line he picked up the journal and placed it in the box, he didn’t want it damaged. Porthos watched him keenly, his head propped up and he tilted his head.

 

The Captain smiled, “I’ll be back, stay here,” he instructed his small friend. Porthos huffed before curling up on his bed. With that Archer left his compartments and walked to the Ready Room. Once inside he settled at his desk and opened the communication link. Staring back at him were two individuals Minister Kuvak and T’Pau. He hadn’t expected to come face to face with them, he was expecting the Forging Minister, not the acting Minister and his protégé. Clearly this was a business call. T’Pau’s hair was still as short as he remembered but far tamer and the regal robes of the Ministers suited her. She no longer looked like the nomad he had met in the Forge, but a manicured diplomat. Kuvak seemed at ease but the look in his eyes communicated to Archer that something was very wrong.

 

None the less the Captain held up the Ta’al and said with ease, “Live Long and Prosper,” the greeting had become second nature, thanks to T’Pol’s insistence that he understand its importance to her people. The two ministers mirrored the action, “Captain Archer, it has come to our attention that there is a great deal of tension between Vulcan and a number of Coalition Planets. We have read Ambassador Soval’s reports, however we are skeptical,” began Minister Kuvak.

 

Skeptical of Soval, now that made Archer pause, the Vulcan had more than proven himself to them. Soval battled for what he knew was right, he fought to preserve their way of life, to protect it from the destructive forces of V’Las and even themselves. As far as he was concerned Soval was one of the best men he knew, and he was honored to know him, not that he would ever admit it to the Vulcan in question. “He has sent reports of readings from several sensors involving weapons signatures, yet the Vulcan Science Academy has turned up little from them. A majority of planets refuse to continue trade with us,” Kuvak stated, “We wish to know if Starfleet has any information on any negotiations being held on Earth as well as to why it has yet to contact us on it’s findings.”

 

Archer was silent, this was the first time he was hearing of this, “What?” he asked hesitantly. He hadn’t heard a word of this series of events, he should have, considering T’Pol would have been informed by the VSA as well as Soval. “Surly you are aware of this,” stated T’Pau harshly, her eyes narrowed slightly. Archer shook his head and replied, “I don’t, this is the first time I’m hearing about this,” he admitted. None of the many orders from Admiral Garnder contained this information. He may not have been a large fan of the Vulcans previously, but after the Kir’shira incident he found himself compelled to see what he could do to aid them. Having Surak’s katra inside him had changed his perception of the Vulcan people.

 

Although, there were times where he sided with Shran, especially on the topic of Vulcan logic, it was just too cold for his taste.

 

Kuvak was still before stating, “I will send the files to the Enterprise as well as several reports. Clearly someone has failed to do as they were ordered. You are a vessel of exploration and our greatest ally, yet they have left you out.” Archer nodded, he suppressed his urge to openly gape, never had a Vulcan offered information freely. Typically they worked to hide it and told him it was none of his business, it actually gave him a little hope. Admiral Forrest always desired for Starfleet to transcend it’s simple mission of exploration and become the peacekeepers of the universe. This was something that he agreed with.

 

The journal suddenly appeared in his mind and he quickly stated, “The journal of Admiral Forrest was brought to my attention today, it was found among the affects of one of my Officers.” Kuvak and T’Pau were silent, and he watched as they closed their eyes to pay respect. There was a breath before the pair opened their eyes, “What is the nature of this journal?” T’Pau was the one to speak and Archer could tell Kuvak was content with allowing her to handle this.

 

Archer’s mind wandered to the journal before he responded, “It’s a personal one, but in a letter he stated that it held information that would be vital to us, not just Starfleet, but I think Vulcan. He had included T’Pol in the letter.” T’Pau’s face was a mask of serenity, while her eyes communicated curiosity and a hint of confusion. It was one he had learned from T’Pol, apparently it was something all Vulcan’s had in common. “Indeed, please tell us if there is any information that pertains to us,” Minister Kuvak responded coolly. In the past he would have interoperated this tone as a typically cold Vulcan, yet he could tell he was straining to keep himself in check, Archer nodded.

 

Once the pair had signed off he found himself staring at a black monitor. He didn’t know anything about these events and began to wonder why Admiral Gardner hadn’t informed him. Vulcan was in a delicate state, the Revolution had caused a great deal of change and instability in the markets as well as the culture as the old ways were pushed out and the new seemed to spread. For trade between planets to become threatened and weapons signatures to be involved it sounded like something the _Enterprise_ would be tasked to handle.

 

Yet, this wasn’t all that bothered him, Ambassador Soval. The Ambassador had lost everything and was still loyal to Vulcan, and now they were questioning his abilities, yet again. Time and time again the man had proven himself, it made him wonder just how often Soval was put between a rock and a hard place. How many times had his life been destroyed by the people he represented and how often he had given them all he had to receive nothing in return. Archer’s stomach churned and he closed his eyes, Trip had told him all about the work the Ambassador had done with Shran, his integral role in stopping a war and his unbeatable fortitude even after being exiled. Whatever it was that drove the Vulcan was certainly powerful and he wondered if one day he would have the same strength.


	8. Moves and Counter Moves

Trojan horses, they are tricky things. According to history they are gifts given to the enemy and nestled inside them was their untimely demise. A devious and disastrous gift that when allowed within the gates of Troy had assured it’s destruction. A sigh of exasperation left the Ambassador as he looked at his PADD, he still had the data on it, he had yet to contact the Vulcan Science Academy, something was very wrong. Humans were clever, but Vulcans were in a league of there own, and the more he thought about this the more concerned he became. Someone was playing a lethal game with them, someone who knew their way around the shadows, a place he hadn’t been in for a very long time. The political arena was filled with those who chose shady methods and utilized other means to achieve their goals.

 

For decades he had watched such practices even on Vulcan, as distasteful as they were, he couldn’t deny they hadn’t occurred. The most he could do was choose to operate in the light, however, even that had limitations and occasionally he also had to summon something from the shadows to aid him. A necessary evil, such as money to a banker and businessmen, this was his evil. Soval slowly rose from his seat, his eyes falling on the screen. Kate had managed to solve the problem by simply looking at it differently. Although the solution was odd, and in many ways he was still attempting to discern how she arrived at it, she had solved it where no one else did.

 

Soval looked to his desk and pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen, all the events were transpiring at the same time. Usually he would look at it as simply coincidence, he was the Ambassador from Vulcan, it was to be expected. He wouldn’t have been sent to Earth if it weren’t imperative and these issues were certainly something that every planet was concerned with. Yet, this time, this time things were too perfect, there had to be a common denominator.

 

He plucked a pen from it’s holder on his desk and quickly wrote inter planetary trade agreements, in one corner. Vulcan was fragile economically, it was a universal fact that after the revolution the economy was in a state of transition and transformation, one wrong move and it could crumble. With strain in trade between planets, it was creating tension in the markets on Vulcan, he had no interest in watching their markets begin slowing and even a regression occurring over such incidents.

 

Weapons signatures, they were doing more than harming the Vulcan economy, but were currently scaring a number of planets into preparing for war, despite the fact that Vulcan had no even spoken of such a thing. If the technology was available for anyone to mimic a ship from any planet, chaos would break loose as allies shot on one another, sworn enemies take out ships despite an armistice or something far more dangerous, it could be used to destabilize all civilizations with an armada, rendering planetary protection useless. Not only would it immobilize Vulcan but any planet with a fleet of starships, something that he wouldn’t even wish on the Andorians. With small script he wrote out the weapons signatures in the opposite upper hand corner.

 

Two problems, the third was new, Terra Prime, or at least it was new to him. This group, who ever they were, had proven to be quite a force and for the past few months more demonstrations had cropped up. There had been several attempts on the Denobulan consulate, they had been fortunate and he had decided to heed Kate’s word and increased the security around the compound. While, he didn’t like it, it had proved to be an asset, since it had prevented them from being hit.

 

Max, he hadn’t said something. Max had known something, something that Terra Prime and perhaps even the Vulcan’s hadn’t wanted him to know. Soval sat back, it was probably trivial in his world, but somewhere out in the universe, someone saw it as vital. Somehow a scrap of information became valuable enough to kill him, or serve as the motive for several attempts on the Admiral’s life before his death on Vulcan. Max was known for keeping an eye on the shadows as well as those who worked in the dark. Even though he had appeared as an honest man, Soval knew there were only a few people he trusted enough to be honest. The rest, he had no issue with using his power to destroy them. Max would do anything to protect his friends, family and vision of a shared future between Vulcan and Earth.

 

He scratched Max’s name in the lower corner and realized there were more than four sides, the Trojan. The Trojan was an issue, even if it only affected Kate, it also affected him. It meant who ever was on the receiving end of the tap had access to all documents sent to her, including those on his security detail and even planetary security if she linked to Kruss. It was a breach and yet, Kate was keeping it. While he did understand it could be used to catch who ever had planted it, he was well aware that it was a massive risk. She had to play this game carefully and even though she stated she could trace it, he was concerned that she wouldn’t be able to do it quick enough.

 

The Logic Diamond popped into his head, and he immediately opened his privet line. Stark had given them a Logic Diamond, something extremely rare and nearly impossible for Vulcan to replicate. Even currently such technology was highly sought after and on more than one occasion Vulcan had offered GD and even Stark himself, a large sum to obtain it. He was greeted by an email, apparently there was still a reader at GD, however, there was an issue. The Logic Diamond they had obtained wasn’t on record. Every diamond had a record of being made and released. These numbers were used as part of the reading process, it allowed the reader to determine format, and the viewing of the data. Without this number it was impossible to read the diamond, unless they used an older reader. The issue was the older reader wasn’t at GD.

 

The old reader, the first one designed by Stark, was currently on loan in a museum for modern technology. The exhibit was one of man’s many steps toward the stars, it was a highly anticipated exhibit as it celebrated the anniversary of Earth’s first contact with Vulcan. The Vulcan government had been willing to assist and even sent some of it’s most precious artifacts, including _T’Plana-Hath_ , the survey ship which had detected Cochran’s _Phoenix_. Both were to be displayed side by side, as well as a number of pieces of technology from both species. Oddly the reader was shipped from GD to the exhibit, it wasn’t known that in reality Vulcans had visited Earth a number of times, including once in the 1950s as well as in 2005, both events were never recorded. The only reason Soval knew they had occurred was T’Pol’s ancestor was on one such mission and his Great Grandfather was on the other in 2005. He had been shocked to learn of this fact and that his father had managed to bring back a video of Nathan Stark.

 

In reality he would be able to ask for a Privet Viewing of the collection, however, that would cause alarm for a number of individuals, including his own people. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his own people, it was the fact that he had no interest in seeing who was left of V’Las’ regime. Even though T’Pol had managed to clean house, as she had affectively referred to it, he was uncertain if she had caught all the traitors. The issue was that catching V’Las’ followers was a great deal like attempting to catch smoke with one’s palms, impossible.

 

Nathanial Stark was one of the designers of the _Enterprise_ , he was the primary designer and one of the finest engineers he had ever met. Although he never mentioned where the plans for Enterprise had come from he had seen them once, they were drafted on yellowing vellum in blue pencil with tight scrawl that was nothing like Nathanial Starks’s own. Scribbled at the bottom were two sets of initials and the word _Enterprise_ _,_ in rather brutish print. How Lieutenant Stark had obtained a Logic Diamond was beyond him. Such things were rare and not even GD was willing to relinquish them.

 

Another major issue was that Admiral Gardner knew far more than he was saying. Gardner was threatening not only the Vulcan state but the state of relative peace between the few planets in the Coalition. He also knew far too much about Kate’s activities, indicating he had a role in this series of events. Soval had seen corrupt officials before, under V’Las those who weren’t convinced with fear were kept silent with wealth and various other methods. Star Fleet was becoming powerful, he highly doubted they didn’t have corruption, the notion was simply impossible with how individuals functioned.

 

All of these events were related, they had to be and so far the only common denominator was Gardner. The issue was Gardner wasn’t that well connected, he had known Gardner when he was a Captain and there were few in his line of work who liked him. While even fewer were fans of Archer, he had learned to tolerate the insufferable green captain, Gardner didn’t have a growing group of individuals who actually liked him. He had been interoperated as a vain individual who was intelligent enough to hold a conversation with, if you could push past the vanity and get a word in. This meant that he would have to have very powerful allies, powerful but privet individuals who would support his cause and views including extreme xenophobia.

 

Terra Prime was difficult to catch because it didn’t make waves in the sense most organizations did. It was practically invisible, there wasn’t a paper trail, not a word was uttered and from what he had learned from Starfleet, who ever was in control was friends with very powerful people. This list of people was theorized to include people from Starfleet and perhaps even higher.

 

Soval picked up his pen once more and scratched Gardner in the middle of the page and drew lines to all the issues before amending the single name and writing, _and accomplices?_ To do something with such a great deal of damage and reach, he had to have them, the only question was who they were and how they had contacted him.

 

There was a knock on his door and Soval quickly slipped the page into the burn pile and called, “Enter.” Suran opened the door to his office and held a box in his hands as well as a navy blue envelope. He held both articles out for him and Soval slowly collected them, “I found a suitable PADD, it is 5.8 cm larger than her last one and has a higher screen resolution, it is also 4.57 times faster with 6.897 times the internal memory,” he explained as Soval opened the brown box. His fingers swept over the black and silver tablet, it was thinner, sleeker and lighter than the silver monstrosities they were using.

 

He slowly turned it on, and watched the screen flicker to life, “It may be used continuously for 72 hours straight on a single charge,” Suran supplied as Soval flickered through the set up. It reacted quickly, with no lag, and he looked over what was loaded, it was blank. He arched a brow as he looked up at Suran. Suran’s gray eyes were watching him and he asked, “Why is it empty?” He remembered asking for a PADD Kate could work on the base code, but didn’t think it would be blank. Suran looked into the box and that was when Soval noticed all the possible pieces of software, “I thought it best to have her select the programs, it is her PADD after all,” he explained.

 

Kate was a professional and he wondered offhandedly if she had a developer’s license, he continued examining it when he noticed it was possible to change it to Vulcan and an odd pyramid on the side. He held it closer to his face to examine it, it wasn’t a golden pyramid entirely, it had the letters GD on it. “Global Dynamics?” he asked after a moment as he examined the possible Vulcan settings. Suran nodded, “Yes, Osu, apparently they had gained permission from the Vulcan Science Academy to develop a PADD for the use of Starfleet,” he explained.

 

Now he was interested, from what he could see this technology was far better than what they had been using, it was responsive, light, fast and powerful. The PADDs they were using were cumbersome, slower and not as sensitive. “Why aren’t we using these?” he asked, he hadn’t heard of them, and now found himself desiring to use one of these rather than the silver monstrosity he had been using for the past few years. His gaze fell on Suran, the elder Vulcan replied, “The project was terminated, Starfleet didn’t like the cost of them, and it was never presented to the Vulcan Science Academy.” Vulcan had taken an interest in developing this technology and yet they had yet to see it.

 

“I see,” he replied as he looked over the accessories that came with it, not only were possible programs in the box but several stylus, two cases –one soft and the other hard- several screen protectors and the cables. It was a start up kit for it. “Osu,” said Suran softly, causing the Ambassador to look up. There was a small smile on Suran’s lips as he replied, “I have also purchased two for us, I felt it was a necessary purchase since the PADDs we had were not fit for service.”

 

The Ambassador looked at his aid, of course Suran had found a way around a pesky rule that made little sense in the real world. These PADDs were perfect for privet use, perfect since they could inter connect with one another and gave Kate a secure platform. “Fascinating,” he stated before looking at the navy envelope. With in seconds it was open and he was looking at an invitation to a massive Gala. He hadn’t anticipated still being on the guest list.

 

With the tension he had thought he wouldn’t be included, apparently someone thought other wise. The Gala was soon, it was one of the first, it was the founding of the Coalition and every Ambassador and aid was expected to attend. Kate was going to get irritated, he had yet to mention the event and it wasn’t something he could take a fully suited MACO to. It was a place of peace and celebrated the founding of the Coalition, while Aids were allowed, privet security wasn’t and it was held on the grounds of Star Fleet. Not even the Andorians would violate this rule. “I will tell Major Forrest, to give her ample time to prepare,” stated Suran.

 

Soval held up his hand and replied, “No, I will. She won’t be able to attend as a MACO we both know that. I will also see if she has any friends who would be interested in joining her. We need security and it will have to be a woman to act as a date.” It was strange to have Kate play such a role, however he had a feeling what ever was going on even Suran would be an asset. He quickly rose from his desk, “Where is the Major?” he asked after a moment.

 

Suran looked at Soval and replied simply, “She and Major Cole are currently in the training room, she had invited Cole to practice in the simulator. Apparently Kruss is testing her along with several guards and had permitted her an ally.” Kruss was once again torturing Kate, he wouldn’t have minded it as much if it wasn’t interfering with his plans. While he disliked the idea that she would give her life for his, he had slowly come to realize she was incredibly clever and in all honesty he would have hired her if she wasn’t Admiral Forrest’s daughter.

 

“Thank you, Suran. Please get my robes from Vulcan and have a tailor come as well, I will wear my clan robes,” he stated. With that he left the room in search of Kate and had a feeling he would be meeting one of her colleagues.

 

Everything in his life revolved around two things, moves and counter moves, all he had to do was wait it out. If he could determine the next move he would be able to push them out. The Gala was going to be something and he knew he needed Kate, the question was just what would happen. They had 2 weeks; he doubted Terra Prime would over look such an opportunity.

 

~~vOv~~

 

Adrenalin, once it hits the blood stream the world evaporates and the senses become acute. There was a flash in the dark and several shouts. The sound of boots slamming against the floor seemed to echo amongst the chaos. Flying in the distance just out of reach was the goal, a silver flag. Kruss had decided a game of 20 on 2 was fair, how he had determined such a task was considerable for them was beyond the only two humans in this game. Amanda leapt over a barrier, her chest was heaving and her chestnut hair was plastered to her forehead. She tipped her head back and took greedy gulps of air, “Kate,” she panted. Kate was by her side, holding one of the lasers.

 

Kruss had decided that laser tag with them wearing special sensors was the only reasonable option. “Yeah?” asked Kate as she adjusted the laser and checked it’s charge, she still had a black case on her back. She had yet to find a place to set up shop, “Look, you need to get to higher ground, I’ll get the damn flag, you cover my ass,” she stated as she held her hand for the other laser. Kate stared at Amanda, “Only your ass? I thought you liked your tits too,” she said with a wicked grin.

 

Amanda smirked, her lips curling up deviously as she punched Kate in the arm playfully, “Yeah, yeah, next you’re going to tell me it’s a huge target.” Kate looked around teasingly before pointing to herself, “Me? Where did you get that idea?” she asked lightly as several shots whizzed over their heads, their bright blue glow spelling out that they had to high tale it out of there. Amanda snorted as she knelt on the floor, sweeping her fingers over her belt and adjusting several charge boxes as she did so and slipped her fingers into black gloves. Her hands moved quickly as she adjusted them and slipped her hair behind her ear as she adjusted her ear piece. Her brown eyes held a spark of interest as she crouched down, “Okay, you have to get to that ledge, once there give me the signal and I’ll move,” she stated.

 

Kate nodded as she tightened her ponytail and crouched opposite of Amanda, after a moment she looked around the corner and noticed a pair of Vulcan’s approaching, the ledge was several paces back and she would have to jump on top of several large dividers to reach it. “Cover me,” stated Kate before she bolted from her spot. Her blue eyes narrowed as she glared at several large walls that were in her way. Immediately the Vulcan team locked on her, their shots flew past her as she wove in the maze of walls set up by Kruss, it wasn’t entirely fair seeing as Kruss knew the maze and was on the other team as their captain, but she had grown accustomed to these actions from him. Each time she rose to the occasion and would out do herself, this time wasn’t going to be an exception.

 

The walls were made of a slick tan stone and her fingers brushed over it as she jumped over a broken section of one of the walls and crossed into another portion of his maze. The ledge was perfect; she would be able to see the entire room from there, an ideal vantage point and could cover Amanda. Kate adjusted the bag on her back, the large and long black rectangular case was slightly cumbersome, but she would deal with it. It wasn’t that she wasn’t used to it, it had been a while since she had carried such a case in this way. While hand to hand combat was mandatory for all MACOs, especially since she would be in close quarters with the Ambassador, they also had the ability to choose two other specializations, some chose old school archery, others knives. She had selected something a little more specialized and difficult to learn.

 

She stopped abruptly before the massive wall and looked up, it was going to be quite a climb and she wondered if Soval’s wife had intended this room to be used as such, then again Vulcan’s typically had a great deal of foresight when dealing with security measures. She looked up at the wall and noticed several foot holds, she had a feeling Kruss was going to use them, apparently this was going to be harder than she perceived, as if Kruss would have it any other way.

A smirk split her lips as she jumped with ease and latched onto the foot holds before beginning to free climb up the side. She was thankful for all the rock climbing she had done at Yosemite and various canyons around the world, clearly it was beneficial to her, even if it was more Amanda’s thing. Kate continued up the wall, the shots seemed to die down and she noticed that the total noise between the teams was approaching silence. They were getting close to the flag and attempting to slip past Amanda.

 

There were always drawbacks to having a small team, one of them was that it was impossible to play offense and defense at the same time, not with what Kate intended to do. Kruss had the advantage; he had 20 men, designed the room and knew where both flags were. She had Amanda, and while her odds of beating Kruss with Amanda were good, they were about to improve exponentially.

 

Amanda’s voice cracked through the line, “Kitty, don’t kill yourself,” she chided. Kate ignored her in favor of getting to the ledge. Her arms weren’t as tired as most people’s would be, years worth of climbing experience had taught her the importance of maintain muscle tone. Kate drew a deep breath before slipping over the side of the ledge and onto a large flat shelf that protruded from the wall, it was just large enough for her to accomplish what she desired.

 

Kate quickly knelt on the ground and began opening the large black case. “Hurry up, they’ve located our flag and me,” hissed Amanda with irritation. The blonde rolled her eyes as she pulled out a sleek black weapon, it was long and she could feel the power through her fingers, and she hadn’t even fired it yet. “Don’t get your panties in a twist,” she chided as she laid down on the hard platform.

 

There was a snort from the other end and Amanda shot, “I’m not wearing them, so how can I get them in a twist?” she asked. Kate smirked, typical Amanda shenanigans, “Oh?” asked Kate as she looked down the sight. “Yup, boxers,” she stated. Kate hummed, she would ask the name of the guy but knowing Amanda, wouldn’t tell. If Soval thought she was wild, he had yet to see what Amanda could do, but valued her privacy – one of the many reasons why she didn’t become a member of a security team for any of the Ambassadors.

 

Amanda wasn’t a fan of deviating and had oddly placed an enormous amount of trust in Kate. It didn’t help that she was one of the few people in their year who was good with distance shooting. Her father had taught her how to use a phaser, she was using them long before most and found she liked distance shooting better than most other forms. While close hand to hand combat was her second favorite this was her first.

 

“Amanda, start counting,” she commanded as she pulled the long black case off her back. “10,” she began. Kate quickly pulled out a long body and began setting it up, it’s long slender barrel and sleek body was cool between her fingers, “7,” said Amanda. Kate wasn’t listening as she got on her stomach, “3” called Amanda. Kate looked through the scope to see Amanda moving through the maze, “2,” she stated. Kate went looking for the flag and as Amanda said “1,” she found the silver banner.

 

Kate held the massive riffle looking phaser in place as she said, “It’s in front of you directly, I’ll guide you.” Amanda was quick to bolt, as the brunet wove through the walls Kate decided to help a little. Before a single Vulcan got a shot off they found themselves out. Once the vest was shot the phaser lost the ability to fire and they were forced out of the game.

 

Her eyes never left the scope as she took a shot at each of them, she heard the sound of the charge leaving the chamber and felt the energy twist around her fingers, a residual charge from the bolt leaving the gun. Her heartbeat was steady as she kept count, between each shot, and she watched as each member of Kruss team fell to their knees in defeat. There wasn’t anything distracting her from her task, guiding Amanda came naturally, as naturally as firing the long distance phaser.

 

“Take a left, and then five paces forward,” she instructed her tone steady and calm, there wasn’t a hint of urgency to it. She had control, finally she had an advantage over Kruss, she could fire down upon him and he didn’t have a chance to force her to stop. The residual electricity made her spine tingle, and her finger tips, she had control.

 

Amanda slid out of the way and down another corridor. “Amanda. Hold, I have to take out the protection detail,” she stated. She heard Amanda confirm as she took her aim, Kruss was standing before the flag. She would know him from anywhere. His back was ridged and he had a small firearm in his hand, he looked ready to take Amanda on in hand to hand, something Kate wasn’t about to allow. While Amanda was strong, she wasn’t strong enough to take on a Vulcan, not even she was personally.

 

Her heart was pounding and she could feel the rush, it was clouding her. The thought of Kruss harming Amanda like he had caused harm to Soval brought her out of her tranquil state. She blinked as she attempted to focus, it was said a good sniper could shoot a shot between heartbeats. In the past they would have a watch before them, and even take medication to slow their heart rate in an attempt to give them more time. Her father though wasn’t a supporter of medication when it was possible to pull the trigger without thinking.

 

Kate stared down the scope of the weapon, Amanda was drawing nearer and she had a single shot before Kruss pointed his attention to her. She had a feeling he was searching everywhere but where she was. Then again, very few could make the shot she was about to. He was over 300 feet away and he kept walking behind a barrier, it was going to be an impossible shot due to the fact she had to hit the vest for the shot to register. She had taken out the rest of his team, and those she didn’t shoot Amanda felt free to deal with.

 

She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath, slowly her heart fell at her will. The beating lessened as she adjusted her grip on the cold metal. Just after opening her eyes she noticed Kruss was glaring at her, she smirked he found her and sadly, for him, she had a shot. She inhaled as she squeezed the trigger, exhaling as the shot left the muzzle of the weapon. The sound ringing in her ears as the electricity curled around her fingers causing them to tingle pleasantly. She watched the single shot fly and hit Kruss squarely in the chest. He looked alarmed as Amanda jumped onto the ledge.

 

Amanda ran with grace toward the tall flag, jumping over several obstacles set up by Kruss.  Kate smiled as she took out the other two guards it was easy. As Amanda reached for the flag Kate heard something shift over the edge. She quickly looked down to see two unfamiliar security guards climbing the wall. Both of them wore blank expressions, Kruss had clearly given them an order and he was a distraction. “Amanda, snatch the flag, I’ve been compromised,” she stated.

 

It didn’t take Amanda much to grab the flag and in that second all the lights flickered on and the game was called to completion. Amanda carried the flag with grace as she did a flip off the wall. Kate quickly slipped the massive rifle back into its case and slung it over her shoulder. The two Vulcans finished climbing and one of the asked, “May we assist you?” Kate paused and looked at the pair, and then back to the case, she hadn’t anticipated that. Honestly she thought the entire security force hated her, “No, thanks though… um?” she asked as she looked at the pair of Vulcans. One of them had light brown hair and the other black, both had large dark brown eyes. They seemed young, at least they did in comparison to Kruss who seemed middle aged and Suran who she knew was well over 150. “I am Avarin,” said the young Vulcan with brown hair, his tone was empty but she could tell he was actually interested in her. She turned her attention to the young man beside him, “I am Vach,” he replied simply. 

 

Kate smiled a little and nodded to them as she closed the case, “I’m Major Katharine Forrest, call me Kate. Where are you guys usually posted?” she asked curiously. Kruss had a large number of members for privet security, and yet she had hardly seen these two around. “We are stationed in the gardens outside of the enclosed foyer, Major Forrest,” replied Avarin. Kate nodded she was about to state where she usually was posted when she realized they guaranteed knew, she was the only human in the consulate after all that worked for the Ambassador and she had been spotted at a number of events at his side. “We are honored that you serve us,” said Vach. That confirmed her suspicion. She tucked a lose piece of hair behind her ear before standing and swinging the bag over her shoulder.

 

Before she jumped down she noticed the Ambassador enter, he was speaking with one of the security officers. “Where is Major Forrest?” he asked.

 

Kate glared at him, she wasn’t sure what he was up to, but when ever she was addressed as Major, it wasn’t something good. The Vulcan looked up at her and replied, “Up there, Osu.” Soval looked up, there was something akin to shock and irritation in his eyes, she had a feeling it was over the fact that she had perched up there. Kate hummed as she slipped over the side and began climbing down the wall. She wasn’t anywhere near as insane as Amanda, which one would jump regardless of the danger.

 

The wall seemed more forging this time as she climbed down and jumped to land before Ambassador Soval, his dark eyes fell on the case on her back and then to Kruss who looked more irritated than usual with her. Kate smiled a little, she loved it when she razzed Kruss, it was a gentle reminder to the Vulcan that for as much misery he caused her, she didn’t have an issue returning the favor. “Major Forrest, a word,” said Soval quickly. Kate nodded in response and noticed Amanda had appeared, she looked as though she were going to speak but fell silent.

 

Clearly the Ambassador had some pressing issues, he didn’t interrupt training sessions without reason. She followed his long strides down the hallway, his elegant robes billowing as he did so, it was honestly a sight how he moved. He paused in midstride and she took that as a moment to walk beside him, “Major Forrest,” he said with ease, “Suran has acquired a new PADD for you to use specifically inside the consulate.” Kate stared at him, she knew she probably smelt terrible but to have him speak with her before a shower was unusual.

 

“Wonderful,” she said with satisfaction. It was logical for him to seek another device for to use, she would just have to do some activity on the infected PADD so the watcher wouldn’t realize she wasn’t using it. “It is blank, you will have to load it, if you do not have time I can have Suran do so as he loads ours,” he stated. Kate stared at him in shock, there wasn’t anything wrong with their PADDs, however, she wasn’t one to question a Vulcan who realized resources were scarce.

 

She continued to walk with him and replied, “I’ll take a look at it, thank you.” She had a feeling he had something to do with it. After all he wasn’t enthusiastic about her keeping it. “There is something else I would like to bring to your attention,” he began, he was stalling. Ambassador Soval of Vulcan never stalled, ever. It wasn’t something he did, or at least Kate thought he didn’t. “There is an event in two weeks time, one that is of great importance, to the Collation,” he stated. Now she had his attention, it was possibly a conference but there hadn’t been one scheduled for a while, at least with the calendar Suran had provided her with. Unless it was an emergency meeting, but she would be informed at the same time as him, it was simply a part of the job.

 

Kate turned her attention to him fully, there had to be something serious occurring if this was her first time hearing it. “Major Forrest, do you know how to waltz?” he asked.

 

~~vOv~~

 

The ship was quiet, there had been little action since the incident except for Archer going from planet to planet and trading stations in an attempt to gather the necessary information about the weapon’s signatures. Irritation still burned him as he thought of the fact that the Vulcan High Counsel didn’t trust Soval. Originally he couldn’t stand the Vulcan until he had actually sat down and spoke with him. He could still remember the conversation, Soval wanted the same things, all he wanted was peace. In so many ways Soval reminded Archer of Admiral Forrest. He smiled solemnly as he looked at the rosewood box on his desk. He hadn’t worked up the courage to open the journal and read it.

 

There was a ring at the door and he called, “Come in.” The door to his quarters slid open and he noticed T’Pol standing in the doorway with a PADD. “May I come in?” she asked hesitantly. He was confused until he realized he was sitting at his desk and still attempting to compose his latest report. As of late his mind had been wandering, “Of course,” he said after rising to his feet. T’Pol swept into the room with her usual grace, her dark eyes were locked on him and she stood at attention. Her hands clasped behind her back as she spoke, “I have the readings from all the bases in question, Hoshi has just received the final set. I will be evaluating them soon.”

 

Archer nodded as he looked at the Vulcan before him, he had asked for her to see him, “T’Pol, have you been able to get the recent tests preformed by the VSA?” he asked after a moment, he knew all too well they wouldn’t speak with him. He had a higher chance of them communicating freely with T’Pol. She drew a deep breath and replied evenly, “They have not replied.” The Captain hummed, the data with the VSA would at least give him some idea as to the possible outcomes. He nodded after a moment, “Okay, keep me posted on that, I was wondering if you knew why the letter was also addressed to you?” he looked at the box on the table and T’Pol followed his gaze. He noticed a hint of confusion in her expression before she replied, “No, sir. I was confused as to why I was included,” she replied.

 

The answer was in the journal, as was the memory of a man he had seen as a father. “Captain, the late Admiral did state it was for you to read, the answer is in it,” she stated, Archer gave a small smile, as always she had some idea as to what was bothering him. He nodded and replied, “I know, I just feel as though I’m touching his soul. That book it’s been with him for a very long time, I know it.” He didn’t usually open up to T’Pol, he really didn’t think she understood – emotions were a human thing. She slowly walked over to his desk, her slender fingers wrapped around the rosewood box and she cradled it in her hands before turning to him, “Sir, he trusted us with it, and more specifically he asked you to keep it safe for his daughter. We should honor his wish,” she stated as she held the box out to him.

 

Archer looked at the box which rested in her palms, he collected it and didn’t make a single remark about how incredibly human she sounded. The truth was a Vulcan also treasured loyalty and honor, T’Pol was no exception. “It is nearly midnight, I will retire. Good Night, Captain,” said T’Pol after a moment before excusing her self. Archer looked at the box and then to Porthos who was wide awake. He was still standing in his loungers and black tee shirt. “Come on boy, let’s go for a walk,” he said softly.

 

Porthos jumped up and quickly trotted after his friend. It wasn’t right to cuddle up with the journal in his quarters, and reading it in the Ready Room, also wasn’t an option. There was only one place to read it, he walked through the decks of the ship, a majority of the crew was either sleeping or so preoccupied that they didn’t seem to notice him. Archer stood before a large silver door and quickly opened them. The observation deck was empty, it would be for at least the next four hours as a bulk of the crew slept. He looked over at the replicator in the corner and decided to brew a cup of coffee. Porthos slipped over to the side of the room before leaping onto a chair and curling up in it.

 

The scent of coffee brought him to the present as he collected the hot mug from the replicator and walked over to the table near where Porthos had decided to sit. He placed the mug on the table and moved a chair so it was next to Porthos. Once situated he opened the box and pulled out the battered journal, it’s leather cover was soft under his fingers and the pages were far more supple than they had been when first purchased. Archer opened the book to the very first page and was immediately greeted by the script of the one person he considered his best friend and father.

 

_“22 January 2115_

_All journals start with an introduction I guess, and a lot of people are always telling me I’m too old for a journal. The way I see it, I should have started one a long time ago. I’m currently 25 years old, and I think I’ve just met “The One”. I know, I know, I’m jumping the gun, but I’m telling you, she’s it! I can feel it. I’m getting ahead of myself; my name is Maxwell, only a few people call me Max. I have no idea who I’m writing to, but I know someday, someone out that will find this journal and I hope I have an interesting enough life for them. _

_Back to this girl, she’s gorgeous,”_

Archer chuckled, Max was always in love with Angela, he could still remember all the times he would see her picture in his office. There was always a new photo on his desk, the pair were meant for each other. He looked back at the journal and continued to read.

_“She’s got beautiful brown hair and golden skin. Yeah, she’s got a nice figure and voice, but the thing that had me, the one thing I knew I wanted to see again, those eyes. She had the most beautiful Ocean blue eyes I’ve ever seen; they are as vivid as the Caribbean, and deep as the Atlantic. I met her the funniest way, I was walking through the park to get to the coffee shop when I got hit with a leaf, one of those large ones, right in the face. Anyway, I ended up walking into her, I literally knocked her over. Of course she cursed me out, to be honest, it was kind of funny._

_I was going to apologize and went to pick up her books, which by the way a woman her height shouldn’t carry so many books – 12 large volumes is a bit much for someone her size – our hands brushed and that’s when she looked up at me._

_Dear god, I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful in my life. Instead of finishing her long line of cursing, she blushed and apologized.”_

Archer paused, brown hair, ocean blue eyes, and golden skin, Angela had green eyes. He was confused for a moment, until he realized this woman must have been the one he met before Angela. He closed his eyes and pictured a young Max walking through the park on an autumn day, he was probably wearing one of his favorite chunky cable knit sweaters and a pair of dark blue jeans. It was difficult to see a man younger than the one he had come to respect, then again, they were all 25 once.

 

The image of the mystery woman cropped up and he smiled, Max always did have a thing for brunets, at least that was what Angela always told him.

 

_“I forgave her instantly and ended up kneeling on the ground even after her books were stacked, neither of us seemed to remember that we were in the park. I stammered for a good 10 minutes, somehow looking at her made me forget my own name. I really am a moron sometimes._

_Anyway, after that moment she laughed at me and rose to her feet, ‘I’m Max,’ that was all I could say, and even that came out garbled. She chuckled, I loved that sound and really wanted to hear it again. She thanked me and was going to just walk away. I ended up chasing her down, I had to have her name. I just needed to know what it was, I didn’t care about an address or communication extension, her name. Someone as beautiful had to have a beautiful name._

_There was a kite competition and I had to cut through the grounds in an attempt to reach her. She was moving quickly and didn’t mind cutting through the trees or bushes. I called out to her several times, I think she heard me but was enjoying the chase too much to respond. I have a feeling I’m not the only one who has chased her, and anyone who doesn’t has something wrong with them._

_I followed her through some trees and found myself in a secluded part of Central Park, there wasn’t a soul there. I didn’t see her, and honestly felt as though she had ditched me. Of course I was an idiot and cursed myself for being so easy to lead on. I never was good at realizing when someone was interested and when someone was toying with me._

_Just as I was about to leave a pair of hands wrapped around my head, they were slender and soft. Of course I was disoriented and tempted to throw the individual using a Judo throw. When I heard her, that airy musical voice from the park, she whispered in my ear,_

_‘I’m Katharine Monroe.’_

_She removed her hands and walked before me, she had placed her books on a rock and now I got to see her standing in her black v-neck sweater with purple scarf and tight dark blue skinny jeans. Katharine Monroe, it suites her.”_

Archer stared at the journal, Katharine Monroe. There was now way Kate wasn’t named after this mystery woman, it would be far too suspicious if she wasn’t. He had always thought Kate was named after the Czar Katharine the Great, not someone else. Definitely not another woman, and more importantly a former lover, Angela wouldn’t have allowed it. She couldn’t have, “Would she?” he asked hesitantly. He looked down at the page and began to read again, he didn’t understand why he needed to know this, but trusted Max.

 

_“She didn’t tell me anything else, other than to meet her there at 3 pm, tomorrow. I’m glad I don’t have another round of training. Classes are tough and I’m currently a cadet for Starfleet, much to my father’s displeasure. He wanted me to join the Marines.”_

Archer turned the page and fell into the memories of a 25 year old man, one that was in love with a beautiful, mysterious woman and working hard in school.

 

_“18 May 2115_

_“Kate and I have been dating for a while now, I finally know more about her. She’s a photographer! I was so upset when I walked into her studio today, well where she said her office was, I thought she was shooting porn, seriously too many guys wearing hardly anything. It wasn’t until I walked into the studio I saw the project, I was stunned by it. I had expected water and skimpy outfits only to see the world very differently._

_Standing against a beige screen were the models, it was an explosion of color, fabrics and ideas. I was stunned to say the least. Kate was standing before them with a camera in hand, an old school one with lenses and all. She called it an SLR, what ever that means. Anyway, each of the individuals being photographed had the colors of their home nation painted on them in some way, and wore their traditional clothes or waved flags._

_I couldn’t bring myself to interrupt her energy as she arranged subjects, demanded more light, more color, more expression. She was barking out commands and made it look easy. Somehow her world revolved around what she could see through the viewfinder, it’s a special one that I don’t understand, yet.”_

Those images sounded familiar, very familiar. Archer paused as he read the words once again, flags of nations and their colors. “The UN project,” he whispered, “Katharine Monroe was the photographer.” The project was famous for a number of reasons, it captured Earth at peace and was what had inspired a similar project for Starfleet’s entryway. Katharine became famous after the shoot, the images were powerful and used all over the world, but known as a permanent exhibit at the UN Building. Even the Vulcan’s had viewed the exhibit and asked for copies when Earth had sent the exhibit to Vulcan. Of course the photos were more than welcome, and they were well received. There was a rumor that they would contact the photographer but the story seemed to vanish.

 

It was no wonder why Max was upset by the attack on the UN, Kate’s work was still there and he had a feeling that he had visited it many times.

 

_“She laughed at me for being jealous, and convinced me to ‘strip and get dirty’. She painted something else on me, it was in only midnight blue and metallic silver. She had painted my chest and a portion of my face midnight blue, and then added a thick band of diamond and circular shaped silver stars. It looked as though it were part of a Galaxy. She then painted a thick circle around it and added a pair of silver laurels to each side.”_

This time Archer dropped the journal, which was the exact description of the seal of the Coalition of Planets. He had heard rumor that Max had done the design, now he knew the truth, it wasn’t Max’s design, it was suggested by Max but designed by the woman he loved. He stared at the journal, there was a small sketch of it, the words seemed to wrap around it. Max loved Kate at least he had learned that from his reading until then, yet, it didn’t explain how her body paint became the seal for something so important.

 

He picked up the journal and continued.

 

_“I was embarrassed, even though she looked at me hungrily and had done the paint herself. Her fingers were warm and traced my skin in ways I knew had nothing to do with applying paint. It was one of the most erotic things I allowed her to do. She had me wear a pair of black pants and stand barefoot before her. Of course I was terrified._

_Kate laughed at me and told me ‘Just relax and be your typical strong and smart self’, I have no idea what she meant by that. I did relax and she took the photo. I haven’t seen it yet, she said she would start processing them tomorrow._

_I did ask her why that emblem and she told me simply, I was too brave to represent a single nation. I was the perfect person to represent humanity and perhaps even other species to form a united galaxy. Peace, she spoke of peace in ways one would speak of love. Then again, peace and love, they’re pretty much the same, right?_

_Anyway, she came over and is currently lying next to me in my sheets, her hair is still wet and she’s practically glowing from our deeds. She decided to ‘help’ get the paint off. Well, we can’t get the blue tint to go away, but the ‘help’ was very much appreciated. I still can’t get the image of her in the shower out of my head. Or the sound of her moans and her soft skin._

_I think I’m falling for her, it terrifies me and at the same time thrills me. I just hope she feels the same way.”_

Archer stared at the pages, his coffee had long since gone cold those precious hours had slipped through his fingers and the Captain found himself being stared at by Trip and Malcolm. He snapped the journal closed and said simply, “A request from a friend,” before placing the journal in the box. He didn’t wait for a reply as he left the Observation Deck. The entire way back to his room, he imagined a young Max Forrest, Cadet of Starfleet, with a beautiful Katharine Monroe, a talented photographer.

 

Now he certainly understood why the journal had to be read, Starfleet wasn’t just something the Admiral was involved with. It was something he had created because of this woman, a mystery woman who wasn’t his wife. Questions buzzed in his mind as he wondered why they didn’t marry and what had happened to the women the Admiral had been head over heals with.

 

~~vOv~~

 

Soval watched her keenly, the question hanging in the air, it was a valid one considering it was customary for the Ambassador’s and their partners to share a dance. While he himself didn’t traditionally participate since he usually brought and aid, he had a feeling he would be asked to comply with Kate’s presence. If she was unable he would have an instructor brought in to teach her both traditional waltz and the Vulcan equivalent since new he would no longer have an excuse to not demonstrate the few dances they had. “Major?” he asked curiously as he looked at a very confused and blushing young blonde MACO. He thought it would benefit him if he eased into the question, as apposed to simply dropping the event on her. Apparently he had been incorrect, that was official the last time he would listen to Archer on any matters that involved speaking with a human of something of importance.

 

She moved her mouth for a few moments before crossing her arms and closing her eyes. He had seen her do this when ever she was at a loss for what to say, it was a rare event, but one which he had witnessed a few times. “Waltz? Me? Why?” she asked, it wasn’t coherent or eloquent but he could tell she was attempting to understand what his line of question was leading to. “There is a Gala in two weeks time, it is a major event and every Ambassador is expected to attend, as well as Admirals of Starfleet and esteemed planetary dignitaries,” he began, “I am unable to take personal security with me, it’s frowned upon.”

 

Kate suddenly understood and he watched her posture relax, “So you are asking me to attend as a date? Rather than security,” she asked tentatively. Soval could tell she wasn’t very keen on the concept, he knew he was difficult but didn’t believe he was that repulsive, unless he had truly pushed her to that point. “Yes, is that an issue?” he asked, “I could simply ask for an exception to be made, although it is highly unlikely.” Her blue eyes lowered and he noticed she had her hands on her hips, her gaze fell on the floor as she chewed on her lower lip, another habit that he hadn’t discovered until recently.

 

Oddly she felt comfortable enough to show him this side of her, it wasn’t typically condoned however since they were alone and this was rather unusual in many ways he would allow it. “No, I understand. What about Suran? He will require an escort as well,” she stated and immediately she was standing before him as a professional rather than a young woman who was in an awkward position. She had voiced his one major concern, “Do you have anyone you trust to work as a guard?” he asked.

 

Instantly she recognized the question and replied, “Yes, Amanda, she was in the room with me today. We attended school together and went through survival training too. She’s one of the best at what she does.” He had yet to meet Amanda, “Cole, Amanda Cole. You can probably ask to view her file, or I could simply acquire it,” Katharine stated with an air of simplicity. He internally growled, he didn’t like the notion of just how she might acquire something of that nature, yet he couldn’t currently. It was a matter of who to trust and even if her means weren’t honorable, she could produce results that were needed.

 

“Unnecessary, if you trust her than so will I. Kruss will need evidence,” he stated. As those words left his lips he noticed a look of pride in her eyes, it was a glint that had made him tingle a little. She typically looked at him with irritation or even anger, yet in that moment he could see her pride in not only her self but the fact he trusted her. He did trust her, he trusted her than she would ever know. “Thank you, sir,” she said boldly, her voice swelled a little. He gave her a stiff nod in understanding.

 

He still desired to know about the waltz, “Why did you ask if I was able to waltz?” she asked. Soval continued walking and beckoned for her to follow, “It is customary for all Ambassadors to dance the entry waltz, I have managed to avoid it in the past because I have always had a male aide at my side. This time however, since you will be my escort,” he stated, “There is a high probability that I will have to participate.” He could still remember the lesson that Angela had given him on Viennese Waltz, it was formal, structured and oddly something he found enjoyable. Angela was the only human he had danced with, at the request of Max.

 

Angela seemed reluctant, but wasn’t too upset, she seemed to be calm while dancing with him. Then again she smelt of scotch and a touch of bourbon, the smell overpowered him. She was most likely inebriated. “Well I’m not stellar at the Waltz, I’m better with the Fox Trot,” she stated and blushed a little before rubbing her neck. Soval titled his head, he had seen the dance at the event once before it was danced by Admiral Forrest and his wife. Angela wasn’t the best at it, but the Admiral would go through several partners in a single dance.

 

Katharine smiled a little as she held her hands behind her back and he noticed a subtle sway in her steps, “When I was little, my dad and I would sit on the couch and he brought out these movies from the 1940s and 1950s. I told him I wanted to learn how to dance like the gals from the silver screen with their captains and lieutenants,” she explained, her slang was something from another time it was strangely welcome. “Well he did some research and learned it was called the Fox Trot, he had never really learned how to dance, other than the basic waltz and Viennese later, just so he could do his duty as the hosting Admiral,” she explained with fondness, “So my father searched San Francisco for someone to teach us, he had connived mom into agreeing to it. Only for the last person he expected to actually be one of the better instructors,” she paused and grinned.

 

Soval noticed the expression on her face, it was soft and she seemed comfortable with him. It was rare for her to be so open, and he realized the only reason she was sharing this with him was because he had known her father. He was perhaps one of the few people on the planet who was considered family, at least he was according to the letter. “He found a studio owned by a woman named Madeline Reed, who danced modern dance, the one who taught Ballroom was the last person dad ever thought would be one a dance floor,” she teased and chuckled, “Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, the Senior Armory Officer of the USS Enterprise.”

 

That wasn’t the answer he expected, the Englishman never struck him as a dancer. Soval attempted to imagine Malcolm dancing in a tuxedo like many of the officers and realized it was impossible. He had only seen the Lieutenant in uniform, and he was a very privet person from what little T’Pol had told him. “Malcolm looked terrified of my father, honestly he turned ashen and almost fainted, I think it was because he was in tights,” she explained, amusement wrapping around her tone as she did so. He fought to keep his smile from breaking across his lips. “Well he got over it after Dad promised not to tell anyone. Dad and I danced together as we listened to lessons from a man with a thick English accent. He’s actually really smooth on the floor, both dad and Mal,” she stated.

Fox Trot, he contemplated learning the dance after hearing the tale, not to simply please her to but remember a man who had taken the time to do something special with his daughter. “I am willing to learn this dance, if you are willing to waltz,” he stated as he folded his hands before him. Katharine looked at him for a moment, he could tell she was deciding whether or not to take him up on it. “Alright, on the condition you help me with something, I’ll have to teach Amanda, she only knows hip hop, and I have a feeling I’m going to need back up,” she stated.

 

“Agreed,” he said simply, it was only logical for him to ensure Suran also had a suitable escort, even if he had yet to see the woman in question. Katharine smiled and asked, “Is these a specific theme or is it just a Gala?” A dress, he knew she would need one, and replied, “No, it’s up to you. I know little of Human fashion.” She nodded before pausing, they were outside his office, Suran was sitting at his desk and looked curiously between them. It was only then he realized it was her attire that confused him, “That’s all Major, when you are presentable please brief Major Cole,” he stated.

 

Katharine saluted him and then left. Suran arched a brow and looked to the Ambassador, “Suran, tea and the latest report on our economic state as well as state of affairs here on Vulcan,” he commanded. “Yes, Osu,” he replied as he walked into his office. Only when he had the door closed did he looked up to see his reflection in the glass. His lips were cured in a smile and he glared at his reflection, he needed to meditate, and concentrate on the issues at hand.


	9. The Heart of a Sehlat

Fear is like a poison, it spreads through the body rapidly, wrecking havoc in its wake. Once it has entered the bloodstream it contaminates and kills all it touches. It is primitive, so much so that even the scent of it will send other animals into either attack or to run, the classic example of the fight or flight reflex. As a storm brews off the coast, the animals in land often become hyper aware and will more likely than not act out. The closer the storm becomes and the larger it grows, causing even more turbulence.

 

The water was refreshing against sweat-slick skin, washing away the evidence of the exercise that she had just partaken in. Blond hair fell over bronze skin, several long scars slipped over delicate shoulders and ended just above her bottom. Blue eyes were closed as she tipped her head back, another long scar traveling down her left arm. Each scar was red and the heat of the water only made them more pronounced. The scent of musk, wild flowers and wood filled her nose, as a white lather was left in the wake of a natural sea sponge. A sigh of relief followed as slender fingers slowed and she looked at the tile wall. “Kate,” called a familiar voice.

 

Kate turned her head toward the bathroom door and she asked, “Yeah, Amanda?” Amanda paused and she listened to a shuffle, “Can I come in for a second?” she asked. Kate hummed as she contemplated the request, it wouldn’t be the first time Amanda had seen her in such a level of undress, they had been roommates at Star Fleet, and Amanda was one of the only people who had ever seen her scars. “Sure,” she replied. The door opened quickly and she stared at the brunet who was dressed in a red loose blouse with a pair of white pants on. Her brown eyes seemed even more vivid and she slowly leaned against the sink, “This Gala,” she began and Kate sighed, Amanda was always one to talk business in the most awkward of moments.

 

The brunet glared and crossed her arms, “Look Kate, it’s not that I’m not honored to be asked to work as protection to the Vulcan Ambassador and Aid, I am. However,” she paused as she crossed her ankles and looked at the floor, “this, something about it doesn’t feel right. We are walking into a trap,” she stated. Kate sighed as she hung the sponge on the side and placed her hands on her hips. She knew it was, “The Gala is an annual event, which makes it delicate,” she stated. Amanda lifted her gaze and she could tell the woman wasn’t amused, in fact, her decision to heir on the side of caution was logical.

 

Kate ran her fingers through her soaked hair and continued, “Look, I have to do the event, the Ambassador must as well as Suran. You have a choice, you can always reject.” Amanda snorted and shook her head, “Yeah right, and leave you to it. No. Look you need all the help you can get,” she stated as she pointed at Kate. The blonde turned the shower off and stepped out. Amanda’s gaze raked over her nude body, it wasn’t unusual or a secret that Amanda didn’t mind sleeping with both genders. Kate stood before her comfortably, they were more sisters than anything, “You’re still beautiful,” said Amanda softly as she reached behind her and pulled a soft white towel.

 

It was fluffy and seemed to float in the air as Amanda held it out to Kate. “Thanks,” she said softly as she began to dry herself, “I don’t think I am.” Amanda’s lips twisted as her expression soured, “You can’t possibly tell me that the reason you haven’t really dated anyone was because of that prick,” she hissed. Kate flinched back as she wrapped the towel around her body, it was warm and soft against her skin, nothing like the sandpaper texture he towels at home had. The Vulcan Embassy was tended to by maids, however, Suran had given her a stack of towels after hers had been disposed of one evening due to texture. Unlike most of the consulate which had sonic showers, she had a hydro shower, which was unusual for the place.

 

Amanda took a step closer and wrapped her arms around Kate, “You can’t live trapped in the past. He was a prick, and personally you should have let me shoot him,” she stated. Kate nodded as she slowly pulled away, “Thanks, Amanda,” she said softly. The brunet ran a finger over Kate’s cheek before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, “Anything for you,” she whispered as she pressed a kiss to Kate’s head. Just then Amanda noticed a flicker, “You take your PADD with you when you shower?” she asked curiously. Kate laughed before nodding and reaching fro a brush, “Yeah, never know.”

 

The brunette picked it up and stared, “HOLY SHIT!” she shouted causing Kate to wheel around. Brown eyes were locked on the screen as Amanda’s lips parted, the color had drained from her face. Kate was by her side in seconds, the headline glared at her, “Bombing in London, several charges detonated destroying several interstellar consulates,” she read aloud. She snatched the PADD and quickly opened her email, there was an official report. As she did so, the screen of her PADD flickered, “What the?” she asked in a panic as she stared at an emblem she had never seen, there was a screeching sound, followed by static.

 

She threw the door open and went to grab the PADD Suran had handed ordered for her, only to see the message on all the other monitors except the new device. “What?” she asked in confusion as she read the screen, “Act 1, more is to come,” was all it said as images of the explosion flickered across the screen and the faces of victims, corpses in the streets and police scrambling.

 

All of the victims were alien, her stomach churned as she watched a Vulcan boy stare at his parents, eyes wide and shock settling in, he was about four. His small fingers were wrapped around the hand of his father’s and she felt the urge to reach through the screen and wrap her arms around the child. Amanda gasped as she stared at the image, several more followed as the boy was ripped away from his father, small hands ever reaching for the man’s lifeless vessel, as though there were something of value left inside.

 

Kate growled as she pulled the black PADD and attempted to track the signal, “Where is this coming from?” asked Amanda as she looked over Kate’s shoulder. A growl left the young woman’s lips, the signal was everywhere, literally. She couldn’t find it’s beginning or ending, it was as though it were be broadcast everywhere at the same time, rather than received. She hissed as she attempted to look at it more closely, “I can’t track it, it’s everywhere at once,” she stated, her eyes widening as she did so. Kate’s fingers danced with grace over the screen, as she search for even a hint into what was to come.  “Leave, or more die,” it said at the end, before flickering off.

 

Her blue eyes widened as he hands shook with anger, never before had she been unable to determine the origination of a signal. “God damn it,” she hissed as she place the PADD to the side before she lost all control and threw it. Even with some of the most advanced technology she was unable to beat the signal. She ran her hand through her hair before jumping to attention, “I need to know this now, Amanda,” she stated as she turned her complete attention to the brunette beside her. She turned to face her entirely, “Are you with me? Or against me?” she asked, her tone was cold and eyes unyielding.

 

“If you aren’t with me, I suggest you leave and don’t come back,” she stated as she glared at Amanda. The brunets lips lifted into a grin, “Like I’d let you do this alone, you against the world is cool but let’s face it, Cole and Forrest against the world, now that’s something to be reckoned with,” she stated. Kate nodded before slipping the towel off and walking over to her closet, “Good, come with me. We need to speak to Kruss, and see what’s going on around the globe,” she stated.

 

It only took her a moment to throw on her place slacks and a light blue button down shirt, she grabbed her blazer and rolled up the sleeves before slipping into her oxfords and throwing her hair into a pony-tail. Kate picked up her sidearm and both knives, she strode out of the room quickly, her shoes barely made a sound. “What’s the plan?” asked Amanda as she trotted after Kate. The blonde rounded the corner and left the privet resiencdecne, sweeping past the staff, her eyes narrowed on the target. “Protect the Ambassador and his aid, and stop Terra Prime, you know save the world,” she said with ease.

 

Amanda snorted as she slipped her hands into her pockets, “That’s it? Surly you had something a little crazier in mind. Like I don’t know, saving the Galaxy too,” she teased. Kate smirked as she quickly jogged down the steps, Amanda falling in step beside her, striding with as much purpose as she did, “If it’s on the menu,” she stated. Amanda laughed dryly, it was insane and she knew that. Her priority was the Ambassador but she knew Ambassador Soval wasn’t going to acquiesce. Soval was difficult, strong and who ever was behind this was also probably part of the weapons signature issues and economic turmoil on Vulcan.

 

She turned the corner and found her self outside the glass doors of the security office, just beyond them it was as though all hell had broken loose, she had never seen Vulcans scramble in such a way before, something else had occurred, something far more severe than just hijacking screens to broadcast a message. She looked at Amanda out of the corner of her eye and asked, “Ready?”

 

Amanda smiled and replied, “What do I have to lose?”

 

Kate pushed open the glass doors and stepped into a world of chaos, shouting in Vulcan occurred as they scrambled, “We are locked out! Security systems are compromised!” called one Vulcan, for all their suppression of emotion it clearly didn’t work in these cases. Kruss was leaning over a frantically flashing screen, bars of red were across it and she noticed his eyes were filled with alarm, “Get it back,” he barked. A young woman glared at him and spat, “We can’t the system isn’t allowing it.” Kruss was working frantically, he hissed with irritation and she noticed not even his override was working. She was before him in seconds and had pulled up a screen, Amanda turned to the second in command and asked, “Physical security?”

 

The young man before her nodded, “I am working on increasing it, however the press is at the gates demanding a release,” she stated. Kruss was frantic and Kate looked up at Amanda, “Cole, take care of the perimeter, Kruss and I will tend to the database,” she snapped. Kruss was going to object until she leveled him with a glare, “You know the database better than I do, we can handle this, you’ve read her file, she can handle it,” stated Kate sternly. Kruss relented and nodded before pointing to several men, “You three, aid her, get her what ever she needs. Right now you work for her. Major you have command of the perimeter and physical security,” he stated.

 

With a snap Amanda was in full military mode and Kate turned her attention to the lines of code dancing on the screen, “What the fuck is this thing?” she asked as she attempted to slow it down. “I do not know, the figuration is unfamiliar to me,” Kruss remarked. Kate wasn’t surprised human code wasn’t like Vulcan. She grit her teeth as she closed her eyes, Kruss looked up at her, she could feel his eyes boring into her skin. She slowly relaxed her shoulders, “Focus,” she whispered. Her breath leaving her in a wave, her blue eyes snapped open as she pulled out her black PADD.

 

Kruss was confused as she snapped her fingers and the code appeared before her as a hologram hovering before the PADD. He stared in confusion as Kate manipulated it, “Of course,” she stated before she noticed the pattern. Her fingers manipulated the code and soon enough it wasn’t a code, it was something far more devastating. “It’s a worm,” she stated quickly, worms were her worst nightmare, “Someone is hijacking the system to take over later,” she stated. Kruss looked even more alarmed, now she knew he was confused as well. If he was involved this clearly wasn’t the plan.

 

The worm was chewing away at top secret files and she quickly attempted to slow it down, “I can’t stop it,” she said quickly. Kruss jerked his head up his eyes were cold and looked more like black tunnels than eyes, “What?” he asked, she knew he was seething. Kate smiled as she looked at him, only infuriating him more. “I said I can’t stop it,” she reiterated, “But, I can trick it.” Confusion swept across his face as Kate looked at her PADD, she could do it, she just needed to set it up.

 

It would take a little work on her part but if she didn’t do this they would all be killed. “How?” asked Kruss as he leaned against the board, his hands apart and she noticed the look of desperation on his face. The Head of Security for the Vulcan Consulate had just admitted to having now plan, he had relinquished control to her and Amanda, she had a feeling this was never in his playbook. “I need access to the server room, and a memory lattice,” she stated as she finished a quick adjustment. With in seconds she was being handed a bright green crystal, it was far larger than she expected by one of the Vulcan’s who had helped her in the game, “Follow me,” commanded Kruss as he strode past her. Just as the doors open Kate watched him break into a sprint.

 

Even he had seen the need for such action, and she quickly followed his example.

 

~~vOv~~

 

Strength, it’s a quality that every great leader must have, one which is often taken for granted but useless without motivation, and knowledge. There is also one more element, one that even the mind of a Vulcan possesses but doesn’t dare speak of, passion. Passion to do what is seen as just and logical in a case of pure panic and mass confusion. These three things are powerful separately but infinitely more so when combines, the cocktail it’s self is more powerful than the strongest Vulcan Port. Even the will of steel will bend in the hands of these individuals, leaders who desire it to do so.

 

The sound of a sharpening stone running across the rim of blade rang through the room. The bronze fan like blade winked in the sunlight as the black stone ran over it, with each pass the stone ground out imperfections and rejuvenated the blade. Calloused olive toned fingers held the stone firmly in place, their grip unyielding despite the trepidation hiding with in their owner. They slipped over the metal gently, a caress that was soft and tender, something one would use on a lover rather than a weapon. The pads of fingers swept over the blade, tracing the engraving of a string of Vulcan characters, before proceeding down the hilt, slipping over the sleek metal of the staff, the all too familiar weight of the silver bludgeoned on the other end balanced the entire weapon.

 

The scent of wood and mint curled in the room as the smoke from the incense burner wafted over toward the seated figure. In a flash the figure was on his feet, his hands wrapped around the staff of the weapon as he faced the doorway. “Osu,” greeted a stiff voice, his eyes fell on Suran, who was wearing a pair of long flowing brown pants, he had a tunic wrapped around him self and stood awaiting Soval’s permission to enter. “Enter,” he stated as he slowly relaxed. Suran did as he was instructed. Soval felt a breeze from the window caress his skin, he had decided to leave his tunic off and stood before Suran in a pair of long black pants, the belt tied tightly around his waste. He knew all of his scars were visible, Suran didn’t comment he simply picked up another Lirpa.

 

He held it with ease and said, “I was contemplating teaching Major Forrest how to wield a Lirpa.” Soval adjusted his posture as Suran quickly twirled the lirpa in his hands, never allowing it to fall. He took a side step and adjusted himself so he was rooted to the floor, he could imagine Kate with the weapon, with her grace he had a feeling she would master it with ease. The image of her holding the glistening golden weapon in her hands made him wonder how much of his culture she would adopt as her own. “She will no doubt travel with us to Vulcan in the future and we need her versed in all types of weapons, not just Starfleet issued ones,” Suran stated.

 

Soval was quiet, he knew she would need such information, it was imperative to her ability to aid them. However, the idea of her fighting another Vulcan concerned him, she was human and nowhere near the same strength, while he was aware she could fight he had no interest in ever watching her have to. “Suran, let us spar,” he stated, it wasn’t a request it was a command. Suran nodded as he adjusted his position, a smirk working its self on to his lips. Soval knew despite Suran’s appearance a spar was one of the few things he looked forward to. Suran charged at Soval only to be met by an affective block, the sound of metal clashing rang through the room. Soval pushed him back and spun with grace swinging the blade of the lirpa as he did so, Suran narrowly missed contact with the blade. “Archer is more suitable,” Soval stated as he artfully dodged Suran once again and lunged at the elder Vulcan.

 

Suran arched a brow, “Archery is admirable but a lirpa is more practical for close quarters,” he stated. Soval’s eyes narrowed as he pushed Suran back, irritation flaring as he did so, it wasn’t about practicality, and it was about safety. He jabbed once more, Suran attempted to jump back avoiding each artful thrust. Just as Suran was about to dodge left Soval swiped his robes, causing them to tear and a trace of green blood to follow. “Both are necessary,” he replied in a level tone before spinning the lirpa to deflect one of Suran’s swipes. He shifted his weight back as Suran lunged, and slipped out of the way, he stayed balanced on his feet.

 

There was a growl as Suran quickly did an overhead strike, which Soval brought the staff of the lirpa up to block, he steeled himself as he felt the downward force of the strike hit the staff which he gripped parallel with both hands. His dark eyes narrowed as he looked at the pale gray eyes of Suran, “You do not agree,” he stated, “Bow is an impressive skill and useful. Unless you suggest the spear.” He knew Suran would never agree, spears weren’t used by diplomats or those of high rank, they were reserved for foot guards who didn’t leave chambers, they weren’t expected to do much.

 

His limbs moved on their own accord as he blocked each thrust, evading them with grace and practice. He took a swift step forward, his feel gripping the wooden floor as he did so, Suran always wore slippers, he wasn’t from a house which had nothing. Soval knew what it was like to live in poverty, he knew the weight of being a soldier and how to this day he was still seen as a soldier on an outpost in the middle of nowhere. Suran was from a powerful house in the capital, his family had prospered and as a child he had wanted for naught. Soval grit his teeth as he spun on his foot, blade swinging in synche with him, his eye never leaving the target, it was then he had managed to knock the lirpa from Suran’s fingers.

 

The weapon fell with a clatter to the floor as he held the blade of the lirpa under Suran’s chin. The Vulcan didn’t waiver as he looked at Soval, “Osu,” he said softly and Soval slowly pulled the blade away, “See that Major Forrest meets with Kruss, there has been an increase of violence among humans,” he instructed. Suran nodded before leaving, Soval looked at the weapon in his hands and drew a deep breath, years of training had taught him to see things with logic and reason, never emotion. He drew a deep breath before glaring at the wall, with swift motions he ran through the fight. Only this time his motions were faster and even more precise.

 

Soval twisted with ease the rythem of his moements were in time with his heart, the beating was rapid and yelt calm. He knew his pulse was faster than that of the human, but the pulse was such a natural thing to follow, the beat of life. Suran found peace through meditation, like many Vulcans were supposed to, the enlightenment of logic guiding them, yet, he couldn’t find it. He had been searching for it for the past 30 years, a fruitless endeavor. Peace meant to accept, and he couldn’t accept this, never this. He had become the Ambassador to Earth out of pity, they pitied him. Anger boiled in his veins it was like poison and the green fires from his home clouded him as he moved faster, lunging and reaching even deeper for center.

 

Pity was an emotion which a Vulcan wasn’t supposed to posses, it wasn’t supposed to appear and yet they had sent him to Earth, a consolation for losing his wife and daughter. It was a slap, a harsh one that still stung, and now he was being questioned by every party including the leadership of his home world.

 

Instantly he stopped, “Home,” he whispered. He looked at the lirpa in his hands and then out the window. His home wasn’t there, his wife was gone and he hadn’t returned to his estate since he had gone to Earth, while he visited Vulcan periodically, he stayed in the capital, always working on business. Yet, when he was on Earth, he very rarely left the walls of the consulate and if he did it was to attend an official event or Starfleet oriented issue. His shoulders dropped as he looked at the room, a room designed by his wife. He lived in the house she dreamed of creating, a consulate worthy of the Vulcan Ambassador.

 

He slowly closed his eyes, he could still remember her: those bright eyes, her warm tone of voice and the small smiles he coveted and cherished, her light brown hair and soft lips, all things that he remembered, he had grown to love her in the brief amount of time he had known her. Suddenly the place where he felt safe felt stifling, it was illogical and yet, it made sense. It was her essence that had been captured in every floor plan and beam, every tile and windowsill, she had given the consulate more than structure and strength – she gave it life, even if she never saw it built.

 

Clan colors were even a painful reminded, his house wasn’t as large as most. His clan was small and while he had contributed greatly to society his family was known for working as chemists and botanists, his route as an Ambassador was radically different from theirs. He had chosen to bring worlds together and negotiate peace. His robes had been sitting in his family home since his wedding to his wife, a life time ago. Soval lifted his head and asked, “Where do I belong?” knowing no one was there to answer, but still wished that there was someone there, someone out there with the answer. All questions had answers it was a matter of finding them.

 

He exhaled as he placed the lirpa on it’s stand and picked up his long robes, he was going to go to lunch soon to meet with a representative from Eureka, who oddly worked with Starfleet. Soval slipped the supple soft fabric over his body, it whispered as he did so and tied the robe closed. After a moment he slipped his feet into the soft and well worn slippers that were deemed appropriate for practice, which he never used. He left the room with his hands clasped before him, his mind set on the task before him, the Logic Diamond.

 

The last time he had seen a Logic Diamond was in Eureka. It was a piece of technology that he had marveled in. While the use of crystals to run programs was common on Vulcan, they had discovered how to write on them long before the Andorians even had contemplated the creation of the wheel, humans were the ones who had taken it farther. It took several standard sized crystal plates to run a large program, 7.89 to be precise in order to have life support systems on a Class H ship. Humans were able to write entire databases on diamonds that could be worn around a woman’s neck and none would be the wiser. Each diamond had the ability to hold on average 95.68 terabites, an entire rack of even the fastest and most powerful servers. It wasn’t a secret that such technology had enthralled the Vulcans and for the past decade they had been attempting to get humanity to share this delightful and space saving solution.

 

Soval slipped into his office, passing Suran’s vacant desk as he went, only to notice a flicker on his personal screen. With grace the silver haired Vulcan sat in his chair and swept his fingers across the screen, he didn’t recognize the contact information being presented. A moment slipped by and he was greeted by the sight of a young man staring back at him, dressed in a professional looking suit with blue green eyes, a Romanesque nose, chisled jaw, and dark curly hair. He was clean shaven and had raised a perfect Ta’al. “Live Long and Prosper Ambassador Soval,” he greeted. The Vulcan ambassador’s lips quirked up on their own accord as he nodded in reply. “Commander Stark,” he greeted.

 

Commander Nathanial Stark was one of the more intelligent humans he had met. Unlike most scientists in Starfleet, this man was pushing the boundries and ironically could be the Director of any research laboratory on Earth and perhaps even a director of the Vulcan Science Academy – if they ever allowed off worlders a chance to do so. Creativity and ingenuity were synonomus with Stark’s work, he was the reason the Enterprise was in the sky and the technology in his palms worked. Like Max, he didn’t care for burocracy, all he cared about was science and innovation.

 

The Commander nodded as he continued, “I know this is a bit out of the blue, but I was recently contacted by Dr. Doniven that you have requested access to one of our Logic Diamond Readers,” he said with a  glint of mirth in his eyes. Soval had witness such a spark on many occasions while dealing with the chief designer of Enterprise, to the point he had no doubt that how Kate had come into possession of the diamond was entirely his doing. She had told him, but there was a part of him that questioned the integrity of her claim, clearly she had been honest.

 

Soval kept his tone unemotional as he replied, “Yes, I came across an unique diamond pendant, I was informed it was one of Global Dynamic’s Logic Diamonds. I need to know what is on it.” The statement was blunt and perhaps not his most tactful reply but he had no idea who else was listening. Stark chuckled and said with a wave of his hand, “Relax, this is a secure line, I emailed “Sparrow” and asked her to boost the security and take care of any and all pesky bugs that might be listening. I already did so on my end. You can scan it if you like,” he jeered.

 

The Ambassador glared once again Kate had been asked to do something illegal, “Such actions are galactic crimes,” he stated darkly, he had no interest in losing his security guard over such actions. Kate was one of his only allies. He wasn’t going to cause her anymore pain, she had been through enough, “Come now Ambassador, we both know you would never convict her, she’s your only ally with the ability to get into Starfleet,” Stark responded.

 

Soval paused, Stark was just as intuitive as Max had been, Stark leaned closer to the screen. His expression became sincere and all evidence of teasing vanished from his face, his green eyes seemed to darken as he continued, “Soval, if you choose to read the diamond, please know that what you will see and learn, will disturb you,” he cautioned, “You may be Vulcan, but even you have a code of ethics which you maintain.” Vulcan’s were no strangers to power, for centuries they were a warlike race, one that even the Klingons would fear. The issue at hand was not whether he desired to read the diamond to learn its contents, but to determine if Earth and his Vulcan were safe.

 

Max had died and he had a feeling that the reason he had died was linked to this very really issue. The bombing at the embassy was caused by V’Las, at least it was orchestrated by him, the High Council had determined that V’Las was working alone, or at least they had not found evidence that suggested otherwise. Soval stared at the young Commander, “It is far beyond the mere desire to know information, now it is about determining if it is still applicable to remain on Earth for myself as well as the other delegates, not to mention the security of the people of Earth,” he stated.

 

Earth had been stable for nearly a century, the threat of it tearing its self in half was disturbing. His people weren’t always peaceful and the time before the Great Awakening was still fresh in their consciousness. Such violence had nearly torn his people apart, he wasn’t going to stand idly and watch as humanity ran down the same path they had. “Commander, the information is imperative to the security of both Earth and the Collation of Planets,” he stated firmly.

 

Commander Stark drew a deep breath and in that moment he looked every bit the 32 year old Soval had known. Ambassador Soval had met Commander Nathanial Stark on a number of occasions, it wasn’t until late her learned the man’s age. “I can’t allow you access to the reader in the exhibit, however, I have one I can give you,” he began and looked at something over the screen, “I will not be able to meet you, they already susupect I know something,” he stated. His green eyes darted between the screen and something above the camera.

 

“Fuck,” hissed Stark, his blue green eyes were filled with urgency as he glanced down at the screen, “I should have had more time,” he stated. Soval watched curiously as Stark grabbed a metal trash reciprocal and in a swift motion all the pages, notebooks, pads, data sticks, and memory wedges had fallen into the bin. A silver metal lighter was between his fingers, the flame dancing as it was unceremoniously tossed into the bin. The notes were aflame within seconds of contact, a plume of smoke and the faint orange glow of the fire was all that remained. “Commander, what are you doing?” chided the Ambassador, that research was probably for another advanced ship, the commander didn’t respond.

 

There was a sound of keys and he watched as the Commander began swiftly typing, “Fuck, I didn’t think they would catch on quite so fast,” he stated. Now he was staring in utter bewilderment, he had no idea who the group that was perusing Stark was, it wouldn’t be Star Fleet he was the designer of the USS Enterprise. “I can’t meet you, I’m already in enough trouble and you may not see me again. Listen carefully Ambassador,” he cautioned. Soval would usually jump in that he was always listening carefully, however, time was of the essence.

 

He nodded stiffly and watched as Stark continued typing, his eyes only looking to him for a moment. “I will send an associate with the reader, you know him, and while you may not trust him – I do,” his tone was harsh and Soval had a feeling that the character Stark was going to work with wasn’t ideal. “But the stars that marked our starting fall away. We must go deeper into greater pain, for it is not permitted we stay,” he said smoothly. Quoting poetry at a time of urgency wasn’t something that he considered conducive to escaping the situation.

 

Stark glanced up at the door, his pupils were dilated and he looked flushed – evidence of distress. “Ambassador, take Kate to the place where we first saw the painted sky and tell her to bring the spyglass,” he said swiftly. Stark paused and smiled solemnly, just as the sound of the door of the Commander’s office being ripped from its hinges filled the space. “Keep her safe, and stay alive,” was all Stark said.

 

Soval was about to ask what happened when he noticed Stark turn around, “What can I do for you gentleman?” he asked mockingly, greeting his enemy with a grin. There was a crack and Soval watched as Stark whipped around in the chair, blood seeping from a gaping wound on his head, he looked slightly disoriented before smiling a little. “So that’s how it will play,” he stated. Soval was silent as he watched the screen fade to black.

 

“SURAN!” he called, not caring how loud he was, if they had found Stark then they were in danger. Suran appeared with in seconds and was standing before Soval at attention, “Contact Major Forrest,” he stated, “Now.”

 

Suran pulled out his PADD only to say quickly, “Communications are down, I can’t access the system.”

 

Soval shot up to his feet and was out the door without a fuss, Suran was hot on his heels. “We need to locate Majors Forrest and Cole, immediately,” he stated. All he could do was worry about what kind of trouble both of them had managed to get into.

 

~~vOv~~

 

The hallways were a blur as she ran and she noticed a team of Vulcan’s dressed in black following her, armed to the teeth, it was unexpected. “It appears Major Cole has decided to increase security as high as possible,” stated Kruss as he took a turn down the hallway. The sounds of boots hitting the floor behind them were a clear indication that not only were they armed but the security teams were prepared for what ever was to come. Kate didn’t reply, she couldn’t her mind was working on how to save them. The staff leapt out of the way and watched in confusion as they ran, security teams tailing them. The servers were on the outside of the complex and typically guarded by its own detail, however, in this situation the detail wasn’t ready for this.

 

Kate slid to a stop before the door as Kruss typed in a password, the doors slid open. On any other day she would gape openly, she had heard Vulcan’s had the finest technology and had seen a few examples of it, however, she hadn’t anticipated anything near this caliper. The room was bronze and tan like most of the consulate, however towering in the middle of the room was a wide column, it soared over them and cast and iridescent violet light. The walls were covered with data panels, and she found one of the lattice drawers open, several green plates were aligned inside it, as well as the iridescent blues she had been accustomed to seeing.

 

The Vulcans turned their attention to the doorway, “We have no control,” spat one of them as he loomed over a consul, his fingers working quickly in an attempt to regain what little control of the situation remained. Kate’s eyes swept over the room before landing on a council, she couldn’t stop it. Who ever wrote the worm, knew that they would have a limited amount of time to execute it. This meant it was fast, violent and was designed to cause damage rather than simply steal. She stood before one of the terminals and quickly fished out a cable, while a wireless connection would be convenient, it wasn’t fast enough. The PADD registered the connection and she grinned, “Okay, I’m in,” she stated quickly. The walls of the fortress had already been breached, she just had to know what to look for.

 

Kruss was staring at her, and suddenly looking over her shoulder, his warm form practically burned her shoulder. “How?” he asked curiously as Kate continued sweeping her fingers across the screen. She didn’t look at him as she continued to craft the basic protocols she needed, “Easy, someone already breached the walls, you can’t get back in because you are part of the system. I however, am not,” she explained as she continued constructing the decoy, it was impossible to slow the worm, but she could trick it. There wasn’t a single voice refuting her logic, of course they wouldn’t, and she wasn’t supposed to be versed in computers, especially theirs.

 

Her blue eyes were locked on the screen to the point she didn’t realize she had an audience until she reached for a stylus only to find a pale hand holding it out to her. “I’m Tuvok, the head of this department,” he stated. Kate collected the stylus and smiled a little, “I’m Kate,” she replied.

 

Kruss was leaning over her shoulder still as she twirled the stylus between her fingers, “What now?” he asked. Kate was typing rapidly, the sound filled the room and Kruss watched with intrigue. “The memory lattice, hook it to Drive L,” she stated. Kruss stared at her, “There is no such Drive,” he stated.

 

She smirked and replied, “I know, I’m making it.”

 

The Head of Security held the drive out to Tuvok who without question opened the massive pillar and slipped the lattice into a vacant slot. Instantaneously it registered, the compartment glowed red as she engaged it. She had expected more questions, only they never arrived. “The Lattice is online,” called a voice, she nodded. “Now what?” asked Kruss as Kate began closing off parts of the server, she was wrapped in the world of her fingers, “Give me full access,” she stated as she moved over. There was a pause Kruss stared at her, as though she had insulted him, his expression was hard and cold. He was about to object when she noticed familiar pale fingers reach over her shoulder and type in the command, “Yes, just instruct us as to the next coarse of action,” he stated. Kate smirked as she looked up at Tuvok.

 

Kruss looked as though he were about to pop a vein, “What?” he snapped. Tuvok’s lips quirked up, “She got in, she knows what she is doing,” he stated before adding, “Besides, she has a plan, you do not.” Kruss was about to say more when a cool voice rippled through the room, standing in the doorway was none other than Ambassador Soval himself, dressed in a loose robe. “I advice you not to complete that statement Kruss,” he warned. Kruss looked as though he had swallowed a fully feathered bird. Sky blue eyes sparked with a hint of pride as the Ambassador glided across the floor with grace.

 

Soval stopped beside her and looked down at her with dark eyes, his eyebrow lifted as he asked, “What next Major?” The entire room snapped to reality, he was asking her for her next move. She smiled a little and said, “Watch me work,” as her fingers moved across the keys. The silver haired Ambassador nodded as he looked at a monitor above her. Never before had the Ambassador simply obeyed her, typically it was a stand off between them. Yet, now he was complying, perhaps he did trust her – even if it was slight.

 

She turned her attention to the task at hand, the panels before her contained lines of flowing text. In reality she hadn’t done something this complex since she was at Berkley, however it was a great deal like riding a bike, once she got on she realized she never did quite forget.  “Fascinating, a fake section of the database,” called Tuvok, and before long she heard rapid commands falling from the Vulcan’s lips. In seconds there was a symphony of keys, not only was she contributing but the staff was as well. No one was speaking, they all seemed to fall into pace behind her. She was leading a group of Vulcans she had never met and yet they trusted her. “Pull the main server off line, we are going to lure it into Drive L,” she commanded. There was a murmur of discord and Soval commanded, “Do it.”

 

The massive column flickered off row by row, random drive alignments were being called off as they were being disconnected. Kate opened another file on her PADD and grinned maliciously, “What are you doing? You stated you were intending to track the program back to it’s sender,” he asked. Kate smiled darkly, “I have a little souvenir for it to take with it, I don’t like it when people break into our house, I’m not about to let them get away with it,” she stated as she connected the file. Soval was stiff and she looked up to see his expression filled with a combination of curiosity and something forging, concern. It was daring but the design on the new PADD would allow for the worm to take back only the one file, it was large enough to appear to be classified information, but not so large that it would be suspicious. “This is a risk,” he stated bluntly. Kate nodded as the drives were pulled and finally Tuvok called “Pillar deactivated, save Drive L.”

 

She nodded as she opened the drive, she had managed to create a false drive and grinned maliciously, it wasn’t an easy task but she was certain it would work. It had to. “What does this souvenir do?” asked Soval after a moment. She could tell he desired to know just what she had in mind. Kate smirked as she watched the worm run back to its sender, “Just wait,” she stated, “Tuvok, I need the servers online!” The Vulcan complied and with a flicker the pillar in the middle of the room was slowly starting back up, row by row the servers engaged. “I need the processing power, halt other protocols except security,” she stated. The sound of the drives flickering to life hummed as she began rerouting protocols, and tracing the program.

 

“You can’t do that,” hissed Kruss, “it’s against protocol.” Kate ignored his statement and continued to work, “You could destroy delicate systems,” he stated darkly, his irritation was nearly palpable. She was well aware of the risk, what was the use of playing the game if she didn’t take a risk, for only with greater risks came larger rewards. Soval held his hand up to silence Kruss as he looked over Kate’s shoulder, “What are you doing?” he asked urgently, as though her explanation would put it to rest. She drew a deep breath, “I embedded a code in the worm, and it picked up the file which had all the earmarks as an important document after setting up a decoy top-secret drive. From there I loaded a virus into a file which the worm has now taken to deliver to its master,” she explained.

 

The virus was particularly nasty, it wasn’t easy to remove and allowed for her to force the user into a corner. It would engage all locating devises and force the machine to remain engaged, regardless of the owner’s commands. All the while the machine would be screaming for the universe to hear, as she ransacked it for any and all files. The owner would sit helplessly and watch as she took them over and condemned them to prison. Kate watched as the worm returned, “Tracing path,” she stated. It bounced around the globe, from one terminal to another, it was erratic and fast, who ever was on the other end knew how to evade being found. “Oh no you don’t,” she stated as she shouted to Tuvok, “Commander the Ambassadors ship as well as several others, I need to stay ahead of this thing.” Tuvok was staring at the panels before him, “I am unable to do so,” he stated, “Only Osu is able to.”

Kate looked up to Soval who was already taking a seat at one of the terminals, “I can give you all the Vulcan bases as well as routes,” he stated. She was silent as she watched the Ambassador type in his access key and stared in shock as he began working on several systems, while he was the Ambassador she didn’t expect him to have knowledge of such systems. His fingers flew across the keys faster than her own, they were deft and light, making her wonder what he played to achieve such speech and accuracy, and usually it was only musicians with such dexterity. Kate grinned, now all she had to do was finish the trace, as the worm bounded off a station in Geneva it was cut short, “What?” she asked frantically as she attempted to find it.

 

“No, no, no,” she chanted as she attempted to find traces of the worm, it was leaving Geneva and then vanished. It was no where to be scene, which meant someone had cut contact with the worm. It had to go somewhere, that kind of program didn’t just disappear and the tracing virus she had created was something all her own, impossible to detect unless you were looking for it.

 

Tuvok sounded grave as he answered, “Systems have lost it, no contact.” Kate growled with irritation as she pulled at her wet hair, “Fuck,” she hissed, she had lost him. He had slipped through her fingers. “Someone, tell me we have something,” she growled. Kruss looked smug as he clasped his hands behind his back, his dark eyes dancing. Kate drew a deep breath as she leaned against the consul, she failed. Irritation ran through her, she was the best in her year and one of the best programmers there was no way they would be able to get the worm without the virus.

 

There was a murmur before Suran stated, “All members of this department are to report to the terminals in the consulate, make sure the systems are in tact.” Each member left the room except for Tuvok.

 

Tuvok stood before them, he then glanced to Kate, “Major Forrest, you did all you could, not all the variables are foreseeable, even for a Vulcan,” he stated. Kate blinked, it was rare for a Vulcan to admit that they didn’t see all of the possible outcomes. They were known for seeing all the aspects of the problem, “I just thought I had him,” she replied as she hung her head, her hands resting in her lap as he fingers ran over her palms, messaging the tight tendons. She had expected a searing comment from Kruss, only to never hear it.

 

Just as well, he was probably grinning - or at least as much as a Vulcan was able to. There was a shuffle and Kate had a feeling she was being left behind. “Major Forrest,” said the last voice she expected to hear, it didn’t hold its usual edge and she found herself slipping a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Katharine,” it said once more, calling her attention to him. Kate looked up to see Soval looking down at her, his expression was softer than she anticipated, “I failed,” she said brokenly.

 

The Ambassador slowly leaned toward her, he was sitting next to her and said, “You have not, and I would explore this with you, however there is an even more pressing matter at hand,” he began. Kate sat up straighter and pushed the previous events to the back of her mind. “We must leave the Consulate,” he stated sternly.

 

“Where and why?” she asked, her tone was harsh. She needed to reflect on the previous events and leaving the Consulate was less than idea, out there in the world there were people planning another attack, one she couldn’t afford the Ambassador to become a victim of. “The logic diamond reader, I can’t get access to it at Berkley, however there is another way,” he stated, “Commander Stark contacted me. He has sent someone with the reader to the place where you first saw the painted sky.” Kate paused as she began searching her mind until she stumbled across the memory, “The painted sky…” she paused, “The Aurora Borealis.”

 

She was standing before him and the Ambassador asked, “Aurora Borealis?” Kate nodded as she began disconnecting her PADD. “The Northern Lights, the Yukon,” she realized. The painted sky, it was then she realized that Nathanial had traveled with her and her father. Soval looked uncomfortable and asked, “Is it truly logical to travel to such a location?” he asked. Kate had her black PADD in hand and was walking out of the room when she realized what he had stated, “Wait,” she instructed as she turned it on and ran a quick search.

 

“There’s an shuttle leaving San Francisco in four hours,” she said after a moment, “I have booked us first class tickets.” She quickly finished the request using the black PADD, she hadn’t touched the silver one since and wasn’t interested in being tracked. “Stark had a cabin in the Yukon, when I was a child he and my dad went there one year around New Years, on New Year’s Eve we went out into the woods and sat by a frozen lake, when we looked up we saw the Aurora,” she stated as she looked over the information, “We can stay in Stark’s Cabin, I know the location.”

 

Soval nodded, “We can not stay too long, it would be suspicious,” he stated.

 

She fell silent and watched as Suran appeared next to Soval, how he managed to move so soundlessly evaded her. Suran held his hands before him, slowly tucking them into the sleeves of his long robe. “Osu, if I may,” he said smoothly, his eyes danced and she realized he had a plan. “You have yet to visit the Polar Regions and have decided to see the arctic caps to see the aurora and meet native people,” he supplied. It wasn’t a lie, but there were many possible locations with it, for all they knew he would be in Finland. Kate grinned, it was perfect, it wasn’t a lie but was so vague that even if someone were attempting to kill them it would take them ages to find them.

 

His gray eyes looked over to Kate and he asked, “Are you alright?” it wasn’t usual for a Vulcan to ascertain that sort of information, however the time she had spent with Suran had taught her that he was far more concerned for her health than most. “I’m good,” she replied as she looked at him, “You okay?” Suran nodded stiffly, “I am functioning at full capacity.”

 

Kate smiled, she had a feeling that was the closest she would ever get to, ‘I’m okay, today just sucks,” well he was Vulcan, it wasn’t like she would get him to use slang that fast. Just then he turned his attention to the space behind her. Kate looked over her shoulder when she heard the pat of combat boots. She stared in confusion at Amanda, she knew the woman was wearing sandals before, and now she had a black jacket on with leather gloves and a pair of black Star Fleet issued combat boots.

 

She tipped her head to the side as Amanda stopped before her sliding her shooting glasses up. She slipped the phaser into a black holster around her hip. “What? A girl’s gotta accessorize,” she said defensively as she put her hands on her hips. Kate laughed hysterically as she noted the long knife on her hip as well. Kate looked over to see Suran’s ears turning a little green, his gaze fell to an item on the wall and she snorted. Amanda swept her fingers through her hair, causing her shirt to shift and the stunning lacy black bra, which Kate recognized as a gag gift she had gotten Amanda years ago, peaking out from behind the shirt. Suran’s pupils dilated to the point that there was only a slight ring of gray in his eyes.

 

“Have fun?” asked Kate as she placed her hands on her hips. Amanda shrugged as she looked at Kate, a goofy grin sweeping across her lips, “Well I can say one thing, things are never dull with you around, so what’s up?” she asked as she looked at the Ambassador and his aid. Kate sighed and gestured for Amanda to fall in step with the Ambassador and Suran, “I have to handle this briefing, I saw the footage from the bombing on my way to the servers,” he explained, “I also have to report to the Vulcan Government.”

 

Amanda fell in step beside Kate, “Why do I have a feeling things just got a lot more complicated?” she asked.

 

Complications were a natural part of guarding the Ambassador however this seemed to be getting worse. “I didn’t get to deliver the virus with the beacon, the connection was lost. Someone must have shattered it,” Kate explained. Amanda stared in confusion and held her palms up, “Hang on, someone managed to evade you? Fuck, this dude’s still breathing? I thought you would have slit his throat,” she stated. Violence, she wasn’t into it, but she didn’t like being defeated, in fact it irritated her to no end. “I wouldn’t go that far,” she stated.

 

She heard a huff, of course Amanda didn’t believe her, she had seen the stint of hacking she had done for the fun of it. “There’s more,” Kate began and looked to Soval. The Ambassador and his aid rounded the corner and Soval stated, “There is a high probability that Commander Stark is dead. He has sent the device we need with someone he trusts; we are to collect it tonight in the Yukon.” The Ambassador’s robes whispered and in the distance Kate could hear the circus he was about to step into.

 

The massive and imposing dark wooden doors which separated them from the press stood before them. Amanda looked at them and asked, “I take it that you need bags packed while the conference is going on?” she stated professionally, Kate noticed how Amanda was already preparing a packing list. Suran looked to Amanda and then to Soval, the Vulcan paused and said with conviction, “Yes.” Kate blinked owlishly as Amanda stood before Soval, “Okay, so I need to pack you arctic gear, survival systems, and the typical cold weather emergency kits as well as a special kit for the Ambassador. Hand held model 2 phaser or do you want the model 4, it’s got more of a kick?” Amanda babbled. The Ambassador looked slightly confused, it was honestly just another day as a MACO for Kate.

 

“The model 2, make that two phasers, I want a back up. Also throw in a few stun granades,” Kate instructed. Amanda nodded as she looked at Kate, “I’ll pick up the goggles too, I can’t do much with official tech, you’re not supposed to leave San Fran,” Amanda added. Kate sighed, of course this was going to be difficult, “Well guess what, that was shot to hell when this fiasco happened. Keep the privet link we used in the Sahara open, I need you to keep an eye out around here,” Kate stated as she began going through her pockets pulling out her communicator and tuning it. Amanda did the same and looked at her wrist. “When’s your ride?” she asked.

 

Kate was looking at the thick black band around her wrist and replied, “2000.” Amanda nodded as the pair set their alarms.

 

Soval looked between the pair and was about to give Suran a command when Suran interjected, “Osu, perhaps I should handle the packing for you as well.” Kate noticed how he merely nodded. He then turned his attention to the doors, Suran and Kate were walking toward the privet residence, knowing her bag would contain all the essentials. She noticed how relaxed Amanda looked beside Suran, her shoulders were slightly relaxed, her hands were in her pockets and she had a slight sway in her hips, nothing like the typical walk of a Major. Then again, Amanda was anything but typical.

 

The doors were quiet as Soval pushed them open, in moments flashes nearly blinded her, and how he tolerated the assault of light baffled her. He didn’t even flinch at the noise as he took his post at the podium. His hands were behind it and he stood with an air of poise. His dark eyes scanned the room as his silver hair picked up the lights, showing hues of steel blue and dark gray. His dark skin glowed against the back wall and he held himself with every once of authority he had. Kate took her post off to the side and the Ambassador held his hand up to silence the press.

 

Now the game had begun, how he responded to the actions of Terra Prime was going to be delicate, the wrong word and everything could tumble to ruin and all hopes for the Federation could vanish in smoke.

 

“The past three hours and thirty-five minutes have been the most traumatic and devastating events in my service as the Ambassador from Vulcan. We grieve with all the victims’ families and friends. For this event was not foreseen by anyone, and for this we sincerely extend an apology,” he began.

 

Kate’s head snapped up as the room fell into utter shock and silence, Vulcan’s didn’t apologize - it was illogical, and yet Soval, the Ambassador of Vulcan, the one who had shown no compassion had just apologized. Every reporter leaned closer as though they had misheard him. She herself realized her eyes now fell on the familiar profile of the silver haired Vulcan.

 

“It was never our intention to cause harm, even indirectly. Our presence has placed stress upon the people of Earth. It has been our goal to serve as a guide to Earth as they travel into space, to prevent them from learning many harsh lessons the way we had. Through this we had hoped to forge a bond stronger than any other with the people of Earth. Yet, inadvertently we have caused stress. A stress which if unaddressed may cause the society to splinter and fray at the very seams, however,”

 

 

He paused for a moment, the next word was the key, “this is not an end. This is the beginning, such things may be mended. Humanity is a fascinating species, It has taught us a great deal. In no way do we intend to leave Earth. This planet and Vulcan have had a long relationship, where both sides have struggled to come to a mutual understanding. The path to the stars has never been rapid, time is required, there is no way to expedite the process, it must evolve naturally at it’s own pace.

 

“Terra Prime has proven that it is violent, however strength does not come from violence, which is never the answer. Violence only allows for more violence, it is peace and diplomacy which will allow us to unite, not only the planet but the Galaxies as well,” he stated, his voice was broad and firm.

 

Kate noticed the expression on reporter’s faces, never before had she heard such passion come from the Ambassador. While he may have sounded cold, she had been around him long enough to know what his passion sounded like. “Earth has come a very long way since first contact, Star Fleet and the Enterprise are proof of this and evidence of an even greater future for the human race amongst the stars. Vulcan will not withdraw from the Collation nor will it leave Earth,” he stated his stubbornness winning over his logic, at least that was what Kate thought.

 

“Now is not the time to question our presence, it is better to question what you desire the future to be,” he stated. Kate’s eyes fell on the reporters who were now gaping opening, several who had opted to use classic paper abandoned it and were holding out PADDs and recorders, cameras had paneled closer and she noticed that even the representative of Starfleet was watching intently.

 

“Vulcan sees a future among the stars for humanity, one where humans and Vulcans are able to work side by side along with many other humanoids around the galaxies,” he stated, the air around him seemed to become even more powerful, “It is time for you as a people to determine what it is you desire.” Soval held up his hand, palm facing the audience as he split his fingers into the _Ta’al_. There was confusion in the room as he swept away from the podium to stand before them, “I have and will always, come to serve,” he stated. He lowered his hand and slipped it into his robes.

 

Kate’s eyes widened as the usually tame circus exploded into shouts and hands waving in the air. He had openly challenged those opposing the presence of Vulcan on Earth and their assisting of the NX program.  Not only did he stated his purpose, but the fact that Vulcan sought a powerful alliance with the human race, on top of seeing a shared future in which they both prospered. She had a feeling people across the universe were currently asking dozens of questions and the press was scrambling, including that of Vulcan. His statement at the end sealed the deal, as his sincere words rang in the room.

 

“Ambassador!” shouted many reporters at the same time. They were waving their arms as though they were waving down ships. Soval looked over the crowd and called, “Mr. Grayson.” Kate watched keenly as the Ambassador answered each question with ease. Never once faltering from his position, he truly was good at what he did. He had not only called for their attention but done so that was conducive to gaining support on Earth. A smile curled her lips as she whispered, “Well done Ambassador,” knowing full well he had heard her.

 

She watched as he worked the room, he reminded her of a fox and a lion. It was strange; he was sly and clever like the fox, but brave and loyal like a lion.

 

~~vOv~~

 

It had been several days since the journal had lefts it’s box, and Archer was itching to continue reading, he took a seat in the observation deck. Porthos was laying on a chair and he held a cup of coffee in his hand. He had taken the liberty to read more about Katharine Monroe, she was a professional photographer and one of the best on Earth. He had seen a few early pictures of her with Admiral Forrest, long before he was an Admiral. It startled him to see the man glow in such a way, he had glowed while around his wife but this was entirely different, it was as though she had given him wings. He slipped into one of the chairs and opened the journal, he had read about a third of the way into it. The way Max wrote was easy, it ebbed and flowed with his emotions and Archer found it enjoyable to see the world through the eyes of Maxwell Forrest, and not the Admiral.

 

His fingers ran over the soft pages as he picked up the next entry.

 

_“3 October 2117_

 

_We went to the zoo today, the Bronx Zoo, she loved it. I finally know how to use her camera so I spent a bulk of my time taking photos of her with it. She was teasing me about being a Lieutenant, soon Commander, she keeps insisting that I travel on a starship and see strange new worlds, complete with fascinating wildlife. She keeps comparing me to a lion, honestly she had me confused for a long time about it. I asked her so many times today as to why. So in good humor I bought her a large stuffed animal lion, which she cuddled with. It wasn’t until she was cuddling with it, partially hiding in it’s full mien when she told me why._

_“You’re too proud to be anything else. You’re brave, strong, and intelligent. Why not be king of the jungle? Besides, you have the heart of a lion, what else would you be?”_

_I took a photo of her with the stuffed animal,”_

Archer looked at the image that had been tucked into the page, staring back at him was a gorgeous woman. Her brilliant blue eyes glimmered as she peeked through the strands of golden hair. Her long brown hair settled around her like a halo of rich brown, curling gracefully. She had doe like eyes, a small nose and rounded features, she looked soft and gentle. Her small hands are wrapped around it, and the stuffed toy is almost the same size as she is. Max never did anything halfway for the Fleet, and clearly not for the woman he loved. A smile curled Archer’s lips as he returned to the entry.

 

_“She wants to go to the aquarium in San Francisco next, I’ve been visiting her every weekend, she stated she wants to meet with me. I’m excited of course, I get to see her as soon as she gets out instead of getting in my flitter and flying here. Not that that’s a bad thing, just, well I want to see her sooner. God I sound lovesick… who am I kidding I’m totally in love with her._

_I haven’t told her yet that she gets to see me in my uniform too, I’m excited about that, I mean she has yet to see it and I can’t wait to see her face._

_I was informed that I will be working with several engineers on designing engines, in association with the NX program. I’m excited, not only do I get to work with legends like Cochran and Archer but Stark too, all the generations of them. Its funny how the name Stark and Space are so associated with one another. I’m already a Lieutenant and I’ll be made a commander during graduation, it’s wired but works. Kate already plans on being there for it, I haven’t told her that I’m getting promoted._

_There’s been something strange going on though, something disturbing. Ever walk in the shadows and feel as though someone is watching you? I know that’s called paranoia but I saw a man the other day following me, what makes it odd is for the past week he has been following me, I spot him in random places and always catch a glimpse of him when I go home. Proof, well for starters he was in San Fran when I left and while Kate and I were looking at the snakes he was standing next to a boa constrictor, looking directly at me._

_I haven’t told Kate, but I’m concerned this man is up to something. I intend to corner her tomorrow and find out why, but something tells me what ever he wants it’s not good. People don’t stalk Starfleet officers for good reasons,”_

Hands gripped the journal tighter as he felt the blood leave his face, Max was followed while he was 27 years old, while it seemed trivial and perhaps he simply had a stalker with the recent turn in events it couldn’t have been a coincidence. Archer stared at the penmanship before him.

 

_“I would report it to Star Fleet but I have a feeling it won’t do me any good, things have been tense with the protests of us training to fly into space, as if we hadn’t been planning on it. It’s the final frontier after all._

_I’ll have to put in a new security system when Kate stays here, I don’t want her hurt over something that has to do with me._

_Anyway, I need to see a jeweler tomorrow; I’m going to ask Kate to marry me. I know HUGE STEP but I don’t think there is another woman for me out there. I love Kate and would do anything for her. ”_

Archer turned the page, Max had proposed to another woman, other than Angela. He had heard Angela grumbled about a hand-me-down ring, but always thought it was because it was of it belonging to Max’s mother. Max wasn’t the kind to recycle a ring, at least he didn’t seem to be, and something had to have happened for such a thing to occur. With the way he had loved Kate, it didn’t even seem applicable. He had a sinking feeling that something terrible had happened to Kate, otherwise he would have never married Angela, he still didn’t know how Angela fit into this.

 

_“9 October 2117_

_Kate picked me up at the Academy, you should have seen the expressions on my classmate’s faces when this beautiful brunette with long legs, curves in all the right places and full lips with those fathomless blue eyes walked over, they were so green with envy I wondered if a few of them were part Vulcan. She took pictures of my in my uniform, I of course obliged, only I haven’t expected the shoot to turn into a stripping session… well now she has images of a disheveled officer too. Not that I’m complaining, she was the one with the hot as hell in high heels garter, fuck, I didn’t even know they still made those._

_She was wonderful and we decided to go to a Japanese Garden that afternoon, the one that overlooks the bay. It was wonderful to have her with me. She got cold along the way so I gave her the jacket to my uniform, she looked gorgeous in it, better than I do. I wonder if it’s like that with all my clothing, probably is. We are going to the aquarium tomorrow, I’ll ask her then, in front of the orca – it’s her favorite._

_I spotted the guy several times this week, and today as well, it’s a good thing I put in that new security system. It wasn’t easy, but I managed it, now I just have to make sure Kate remembers the protocols. Then again, there probably won’t be a period where she goes outside without me._

_Kate mentioned asking her friend Angie to join us, I hope not. It’s not that I don’t want to meet Kate’s friends but honestly, I would rather ask her privetly for her hand in marriage, I could always ask her in the massive gardens at the academy near the Vulcan Lilies, she would probably like that.”_

Archer continued reading and paused, Angie, which was short for Angela. Angela was Kate’s friend, now he understood how she came into the picture much to his disdain. It wasn’t that he was against women having friends it was that he had a sinking feeling all Angela would try to do was steal Max from Kate.

 

_“10 October 2117_

_I met Angie, her name is Angela, she’s cute, but not my type. She’s far too grabby and keeps insisting that I do things with her, rather than Kate. I have no interest in her, while Kate was away at the restroom she pressed me against a wall and started feeling me up, seriously! There were kids around, you don’t do that shit! I managed to get her off of me, but felt like I had been violated. I haven’t told Kate, she’s too happy. Apparently she hasn’t seen Angela in years, and had wanted to visit. I know I’m not just a vehicle for that, but I do feel jealous._

_I didn’t ask her, she was too distracted. I asked her to join me at the Vulcan Consulate tonight. I spoke with Ambassador Soval, I had met him a few times while attempting to get the NX project off the ground and in high gear, he has given us permission to view the gardens. The Ambassador has been invaluable to us these past couple weeks, with his encouragement the Admirals are allowing me to proceed as planned. Archer is ecstatic as is Stark, I’m nervous about being the head of the project, however, the Ambassador insisted I was the one._

_I’m concerned it’s because he feels he is able to manipulate me. I won’t allow it._

_The Ambassador isn’t like most of the Vulcan’s, he appears aloof but isn’t. I’m rather curious about him, and why he would allow me to propose to Kate in the garden. When I asked he stated that it was his way of showing an open mind to humanity. I mean it would bring them a great deal of press, but press aside, he really didn’t have to._

_I’ve been running my fingers over the box all day, the Ambassador suggested dinner in the garden, which he will have set for two. I didn’t peg him as the romantic, then again, I barely know him. Work wise, he’s attentive, through and has a great sense of who he is in comparison to everyone else. He works tirelessly with us and the VSA, I’m glad he’s the Ambassador, I just wish I could get that solemn look to leave his eyes, it doesn’t belong in a man who is as strong and proud as him.”_

Soval knew Katharine, now that was a twist, he was well aware that Max’s daughter had been assigned to the Ambassador as protection, but for him to have known the woman personally was a shock. The Ambassador was imposing, difficult and stern and yet the way Max wrote him it sounded as though he admired the Vulcan. Once or twice he had seen a solemn look on Soval’s face, but never commented, he thought it was something all Vulcan’s possessed.

 

_“I have to go I’ll return with the news later._

_I’m back and she said yes. I’m over the moon, honestly. Katharine Monroe has just said yes to me! I caught Soval watching us as we left he looked pleased, if you can call it that. Obviously he approves of her. She called Angela, who didn’t seem as happy but I don’t care. I have Kate and I’m not letting her go.”_

Archer turned the page only to stare at the journal. He couldn’t believe what was on paper before him.

 

_“15 October 2117_

_I was abducted by the man who has been following me for the past three months, on Monday, after Kate had left. Officially the incident never occurred, Starfleet has no record of it, and neither does the Vulcan High Command._

_Unofficially… it will cause a great deal of friction in the future._

_At 11 am, Monday morning I was walking down the street on my way to the Vulcan Consulate to meet with Ambassador Soval, when I heard a woman screaming in the alley for help. I didn’t analyze the situation, I simply ran into the alley to see a woman curled up and covered in blood. I immediately went to aid her when I found myself with the business end of a phaser in my face. She was grinning viciously and the next thing I felt was pain as my head hit the pavement, she was yelling at someone before I blacked out. Apparently giving me a concision wasn’t part of the plan._

_I woke four hours later, naked with my arms chained above my head, suspending from a ceiling from what looked like 18 th century meat hooks. I didn’t even think those were still around. I was blinded by a light and questioned. At first the questions were my name and rank, finally it came to details of the NX project, Starfleet security and ultimately the Consulate security. All of these questions I didn’t answer. _

_As a result they beat the crap out of me, apparently if I wouldn’t volunteer the answer they believed beating it out of me would work. Obviously they didn’t know a thing about torture, or they would have known that people will say just about anything to get away. It started with lashings and escalated._

_“Who is running the NX Program?”_

_I was silent and recived several lashings, the sound of the whip still rings in my ears._

_“Where are the Labs?”_

_Another five lashings for my silence._

_“How do we get in?”_

_Seven Lashings and a knife at my arm, my back was in searing pain I felt like someone had taken a butter knife and was attempting to skin me._

_“What’s the key code for the Armory?”_

_Two more long deep cuts, now I was light headed and their voices seemed to dim a little._

_“The Vulcan Consulate has how many levels of security?”_

_As if I would betray the Ambassador and again I was silent, eight lashings, who ever it was didn’t have a conscious and had phenomenal stamina._

_“When will the Ambassador be out of the consulate?”_

_Several more lashings, I lost count I was in too much pain._

_“Tell us how to get to the Ambassador!”_

_I barely remember what was used, all I remember is the white hot pain that enveloped me when I was branded and the smell of burning skin._

_“Who are you?”_

_I had to ask, I couldn’t accept people beating the shit out of me without knowing who they were, it was too cold. Besides I would be dead at that rate anyway._

_“Terra” something, I didn’t get it all._

_The doors were blown off and an infiltration thing swept in. I had hung my head in both shame and relief, I was supposed to be a Commander and yet I got mixed up in this mess. I was relieved none the less, I could see Kate again._

_I thought it was Starfleet until I saw the gray robes of a Vulcan in the mix. A pair of gentle hands lifted my chin and I found myself looking into the eyes of Ambassador Soval. His dark eyes seemed to slice through me as he asked, “Are you alright Lieutenant?” He knew I wasn’t, and I closed my eyes waiting for a scathing remark, only to feel myself being lowered to the floor. I had expected it to come up a greet me, but it never did. Instead I was held against the Ambassador’s frame. “Forrest, what have you gotten yourself into?” he admonished as though I was a child. In his defense though, I am, let’s be honest he’s over 100 years old and I’m 27._

_I blacked out in his arms, it was odd to feel safe in them. He never desired to hurt me. I woke up in the Consulate inside their trauma center, apparently I was unstable for a bit. He had gotten Starfleet to look into the case and I was questioned relentlessly.”_

Archer stared, Soval had saved Max, that would explain a great deal, but why the Vulcan had gone through the trouble was odd. Vulcan’s didn’t do such things, as far as Soval would have been concerned Max was replicable.

 

_“In the end, much to my displeasure, I was asked to be silent and was handed Captaincy on a platter. I had managed to skip Commander and go to Captain in that leap; I didn’t even do anything to deserve it! I rejected it several times, only to find myself forced into it. It was their way of insuring I was quiet. Starfleet didn’t want such information available. Sadly, neither did the Vulcans and Soval had been instructed to do what ever was necessary to ensure the completion of the NX project._

_I have a feeling the Admirals and High Command struck a deal. Soval probably wasn’t included because he looked irate.”_

Max had been asked to remain silent, which meant that he had not only witnessed something he shouldn’t have, but Starfleet knew of Terra Prime for years and did nothing. The footage from that day was fresh in his mind, Max had been corner and told to never reveal what had occurred so that several families could be torn apart. The image of the Vulcan child being ripped from his parents was in his mind, it chilled him to the bone.

 

“It could have been prevented,” he seethed.

 

“Captain?” asked a soft voice from behind him. Archer turned around to see T’Pol standing there. She was wrapped in a meditation robe and stared at him. Archer closed the journal and hissed, “It could have been prevented, the bombing.” T’Pol slowly approached him, as though she were approaching a wounded sehlat. The Captain watched her slowly, she noticed his pain and he had a feeling that she was also in pain. Witnessing an explosion was agonizing, “Captain, he had tried, I know he would have. Admiral Forrest wasn’t the type to sit idle,” she stated. Archer nodded and whispered, “I just wish he told me before.”

 

T’Pol stood before him, she didn’t weaver, her dark eyes cutting through him. Archer wondered if all Vulcan’s had such a look. “He did,” she stated. Archer looked at the journal and flipped it over in his hands, his finger tips moving over it’s cover. “He had the heart of a lion,” said Archer thoughtlessly, channeling the words which Kate had said about Max.

 

“Then he must have also had the heart of a Sehlat,” she replied. Archer looked confused until she continued, “While a Sehlat is vicious if not cared for properly, it is also loyal and devoted to it’s master until death. It will protect a master’s young, as well as his house.” Archer nodded, Max did have the heart of a Sehlat, and part of him hoped he did too so he could face these demons which had been conjured from the darkest regions of hell he had ever seen.


	10. Blue Amber Dreams

Night, in some placed of the world it is brief and in others it is nearly endless. The closer an individual travels toward the poles the further away the sun seems to be as the world of the dark creeps in. It is natural for a child to fear such places, especially the arctic, where the night takes over and so little light reaches it, that it remains frozen. The terrain it's self is rough with mountains and drifts of snow, evergreens have managed to survive in a few places which receive just enough light, but those are few and far between. The arctic is the worlds coldest and most barren dessert, it is dangerous beyond compare with deadly wildlife, below freezing temperatures and the maddening darkness, which envelopes all who visit.

Amanda looked over the bags, it wasn't wise to pack too much, so she opted for the lightest possible load, that would still ensure their survival until they arrived at the cabin. Once at the cabin they would be safe, it was the journey to it that proved to be the most dangerous aspect. She pulled out the sleek white coat, it was the latest in winter wear, the material was acquired from the Andorians, who felt right at home at the poles, well it was still a little warm for them but they didn't complain. They loved Russia, Canada, Finland, and the Antarctic, at least that was the rumor that circulated with Commander Shran cuddling with an Emperor Penguin.

There was a shuffle behind her and she looked over her shoulder to see the familiar gray eyes of Suran, his salt and peper hair was perfectly combed in place and he stood stiffly. "Major Cole, I have packed the Ambassador's bags, I will have him put on the arctic gear before departing," he stated, his voice was flat and lacked any and all emotions. Amanda nodded as she reached off to the side and picked up a slick black case, "Okay, I'll tell Kate," she stated as she opened the case.

Suran looked at her curiously, she could practically feel the questions buzzing in his mind. She chuckled lightly as she reached into the case and pulled out a brass cylinder, she held it out to him and said, "Here." Suran held out his palm and collected the brass cylinder, cradling it in his hand as he did so. He turned it around in his hands she watched his fingers sweep over the leather grip before gently tugging the eyepiece forward, extending it fully. "What is it?" he asked curiously as Kate smiled, he was like a child observing the world, then again, he probably had never seen one before it wasn't common on Earth these days.

She reached into Kate's bag and pulled out another object, something Kate also loved bringing with her. "That is a spyglass, it's an old Terran device used to look great distances. It was commonly found on navel vessels, and predates the telescope, actually it is the telescope's ancestor, and this," she stated as she opened another black case, nestled inside was an astrolabe, there really was no point in possessing one, but the Admiral had given them to Kate when she was a child. Suran looked at the box in her hands, nestled inside was a large brass disk with several rings, there was a bar across which could be adjusted. The outer ring consisted of longitude markings, the bar down the middle consisted of degree of the angle and the latitude lines traveled across the piece, "an Astrolabe, I'm sure Vulcan's had something similar. It was used for navigation as well as determining time, and could be used to determine location in reference to it," she stated.

She closed the case and slipped it into the bag, "Why are they taking both items? They are very rare," he stated. Amanda nodded, she was well aware that most of the time items like those were in museums and privet collections, using an Astrolabe wasn't normal and many considered it outdates. "Simple, there are some places in the poles which are not covered by satellite, there are magnetic disturbances and the cabin is nestled in a valley. Of course they will have digital maps, but just in case I have her packed with the necessary tools," she replied as she picked up the other black case once again.

Suran picked up the spyglass and looked through it experimentally only to lower it and then gaze through it once more, "Aren't most spyglasses made of glass?" he asked. Amanda smiled, he had just asked the one question that nearly everyone did when they looked through the spyglass the first time. "Yes, but that is a very special spyglass," she stated as she held her hand out for it. Suran returned it to her his eyebrows were lifted and he looked even more confused, "This one has a Blue Amber lens," she explained, "When you look through it you'll notice light appears differently as do other items."

The Vulcan handed the spyglass back to her, "It is fascinating, it is able to pick up phosphorescent molecules. I was not aware that there was such a stone," he commented. Amanda quickly collapsed it and placed the guard on the lens, "Blue amber is extremely rare, and can not be replicated in a lab, the piece in the spyglass is well over eight hundred years old," she explained. Tentatively she placed the spyglass in the case that was surrounded by shock absorbent material, "It had unique properties, the piece of blue amber used in this spyglass is the largest to date and also cut the thinnest. Making the spyglass priceless," she stated as she closed the case and slipped it into Kate's bag.

"If it is valuable, wouldn't it be logical for it to remain here?" asked Suran curiously. Logic, Vulcan's and logic were perhaps the most predictable combination of all time. She huffed, of course Kate had the gig with the most difficult race on earth. She turned her attention to Suran and replied, "I know, however it is also a tool that she will need up there," her tone was clipped causing Suran to look even more confused. She wasn't happy about Kate taking the spyglass up there, it was an ancient heirloom from her father, she had been there when the Admiral gave it to her, the first time she went with the Starks up to the arctic.

Before she could apologize the door of room opened, Kate and the Ambassador stood in the threshold, "Osu, T'sai Forrest," greeted Suran with a slight bow, it was then Amanda realized that Suran's priority wasn't just the Ambassador, it was Kate as well. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the Vulcan beside her, he was up to something and she was going to find out what. "Suran, Major Cole," The Ambassador acknowledged as he swept into the room, slipping out of his large outer robe as he did so, Kate followed after him, throwing her blazer into a chair and slipping out of her heels.

"I have the standard gear packed, as well as the spyglass," she stated as Kate slipped her shirt off. It was then Amanda remembered the Ambassador and Suran were in the room, "Good," Kate stated. The black tank top rippled as the young blonde slipped into the tight thermal gear, it hugged her skin, "I also took the liberty of ensuring that there was another mode of transport available, to avoid being tracked," she stated. She watched the young woman slip out of her slacks to see a pair of compression shorts, this wasn't the first time she had spotted this. She frowned knowing all too well why she had done such a thing, Amanda watched as Kate slipped the tight pants on as well.

She slowly placed a hand on Kate's shoulder, "You going to be okay?" she asked softly, her brows knitting together as she did so. Kate's ocean blue eyes flickered up to meet Amanda's browns, there was hesitation in them something she hadn't seen in a long time. "Yeah," she replied softly, Kate sounded vulnerable and it took Amanda all she had not to pull her best friend into her arms and give her a bone crushing hug. "He's not like him Amanda," Kate said softly, "He won't do that to me." Amanda wasn't convinced, men around Kate made her uneasy, she would never be able to erase that image of Kate standing before her covered in bruises and clutching her sides in the rain, a battered little girl who was crying.

Amanda sighed as she hung her head and watched Kate slip her feet into the black snow boots she had procured for her the pants slipping over the tops of them to hide them. "I know, but I worry about you," Amanda remarked as she held out an elastic for Kate's long hair. The blonde accepted the black band and twisted her hair into a bun, "I know, just look after Suran for me, and keep your ear to the ground," she instructed. Amanda watched the woman she knew transform from the battered little girl to a warrior, it was unnerving, but caused pride to swell in her chest. For years Kate told her how important she was, but in truth Amanda didn't consider her self important, it was this blonde warrior before her that mattered.

As always she was giving Amanda orders, only she really couldn't blame Kate. At this moment she was probably one of the only people on her side, other than Soval and she hoped Suran. Something dark was brewing, something that could not only get the Ambassador killed but she had a feeling everyone was in danger. There was a click and Amanda watched as Kate loaded the phaser and then slipped it into it's holster in her belt, before tucking it under her black leather jacket. She had her coat tucked away in her bag, for future use, "I'll listen for demons, as for Suran, I'll keep an eye on him but what about the High Command? They won't be happy about this and I have a feeling the Ambassador hasn't told them," she said after a moment.

Kate lifted the black back pack and adjusted the straps, "Leave the High Command to them Amanda, you have two things to do, the first see what you can find about this group her in Sausalito and San Fransisco, there's no way that this place was simply spared," she stated. Just then there was a rustle and she looked over to see Soval dressed in white attire, it was snug and thick, she had heard Vulcan's had arctic gear but never seen it, until now.

She turned her gaze back to Amanda, "Find out what they are up to, I don't want to see anymore explosions like the one from several days ago, these guys mean business, they wouldn't over look us, which means," she paused and Amanda nodded, "they have something bigger planned," Amanda finished. Soval slipped a bag over his shoulders, he looked comfortable carrying it, and Kate wondered why this was, for the longest time she had never seen him carry anything heavier than a PADD, yet there he was with his pack. "Someone's got to be supplying them with explosives, I'll see who's still running," said Amanda after a moment.

The Ambassador's aid stepped beside Amanda and suggested, "Perhaps that is something I am able to aid you with," he seemed interested. There was a pause, Amanda didn't need him injured or Kate would kill her, "No, you need to keep an eye on the High Command and the other delegates, since you are not traveling with the Ambassador you'll probably be in charge," she stated. She could smell exotic spices caress her nose and looked over to see Soval standing near her, "Suran will be kept up to date and will not contact us unless the High Command requires it."

Amanda turned to look at the silver haired ambassador, his word was law when it came to his subordinates, "Suran, remain vigilant, Major Forrest is correct that there is no way we were spared," he stated. Suran nodded and Amanda noticed something flicker in the Ambassador's eyes as he turned his attention to Kate, the young blonde stood stock still before them, "Hang on, Soval take the winter coat off, I need you to put something else on," Kate said after a moment of thought, her sky blue eyes swept over the Ambassador, analyzing every detail.

The Vulcan Ambassador looked irrevocably confused as he did as she asked, "You're still taking the coat with you, since you'll need it once we reach the Yukon, however, you can't walk around Sausalito like that," she stated. Soval slipped the heavy white coat off and Suran held his hand out expectantly, only for the Ambassador to fold it and slip it into his pack. Amanda watched with interest as Suran held his hands at his sides, looking slightly exasperated, it was as though Soval refused his assistance because he was able to, rather than necessarily desiring to. Kate walked over to the closet in the room, her fingers lingered on the silver handle, her hand trembled slightly. Amanda's hand shout out as though to give Kate support, she noticed how the blonde began to chew on her lip.

With a shake of her head, Kate had the door open and reached inside. Just as Amanda was about to ask what the young woman before her was up to she knew instantly. Clutched between the young woman's hands was an all too familiar item. Her gaze softened instantly as Kate ran her fingers over the supple brown leather, it was dark and soft. Blue eyes drifted to Soval as she approached him with the jacket, the Starfleet logo was on the front, it was trimmed with lamb's skin, soft to the touch and looked like a classic World War Two Bomber jacket. The brass zipper wasn't as glossy as it had once been and there were scuffs in the leather, and yet Amanda didn't see these imperfections as such, they gave the jacket character.

Kate stood before Soval, holding the jacket in her hands tenderly, "Put this on," she said in a small voice. Amanda's jaw hit the floor, the Ambassador eyed the garment with curiosity before recognition dawned on him. Olive skinned fingers paused before taking the garment from the young woman, "Was this?" he began only to pause. Kate nodded, "It was my dad's, he would agree with me, that you need it," she said softly. Soval gently brushed his fingers over the leather, she knew Vulcan's didn't like killing animals, they didn't believe in it, yet he was willing to touch this garment.

Soval looked to Kate once again, "Are you certain?" he asked hesitantly, Amanda was silent as she watched the exchange, never had Kate allowed anyone to even handle the jacket, le t alone wear it. She had met Admiral Forrest once, it was a professional encounter, in which the Admiral radiated confidence, as well as integrity. It was a 20 minute exchange, and probably a trivial duty to the Admiral, but in Amanda's world, it had changed her life. In that conversation she had been recruited to become a MACO. She had seen the jacket in his office, and learned later from Kate, that her father used to ride a rather large motorcycle, that was a classic spin on a 1940s bike, without the sidecar.

Soval nodded as he slipped it over his shoulders, the jacket oddly fit him, another example as to how Vulcans and Humans were not that different. He zipped the leather jacket halfway and turned his attention to Kate, who was smiling slightly. "Good," Kate finally breathed before Soval picked up his pack once more, "We will be taking my bike to the terminal and then loading it as cargo, it may not be helpful in the Yukon, but with Stark chances are that isn't the first stop," she stated nonchalantly as she hoisted her own pack over her shoulder and stepped to the side to begin their walk.

Amanda had to trot to keep up with the long strides of both the Ambassador and Kate, she had a bit of practice chasing Kate though. She quickly turned on her PADD and was greeted by a notice that not only had the tickets been processed but there was room in cargo for the motorcycle. "I have confirmation o the tickets, now remember you two aren't traveling as the Ambassador and his guard, you're officially Katharine Forrest and Soval, you'd be surprised how few people know you, Ambassador," Amanda explained. The Vulcan nodded as they continued down the hallway, each step drew them closer to the door and Amanda realized that these two were about to do something very dangerous, "Remember Kate, come back in one piece right?" she stated as she followed the pair into the garage. Suran had opened the overhead door to the garage and Kate was quickly slipping her pack into what looked like a cube.

Amanda stared curiously at the square as it seemed to collect the bag, "It's a cube, something that my dad gave me from one of his trips, it can't hold a lot, but it can hold our bags," she commented before reaching for Soval's. The Ambassador stared at the silver device as though he had never seen it, then again there was a large possibility of such, "I will carry mine," he stated as he held his hand out for the cube. Kate's eyes narroed as she looked at the hand in great confusion, "I will also carry the cube," he stated as though it were apparent.

At first Amanda though Kate would go lateral only to watch Kate shrug and hand him the slick silver cube. She was going to comment but decided not to, at least she knew they wouldn't kill one another, yet.

~~vOv~~

The blonde chuckled as she slipped her driving glasses on and proceeded to slipping a headset over her ear. She heard the distant crack of her head set registering her communicator, "Major Katharine Forrest," she said simply causing the headset to accept her vocal signature. She revved the engine, there was a rush through Kate's veins as the sound of the engine of her motorcycle growled in her ears, sending a tingle of excitement down her spine. No matter how frequently she rode her Yamazaki it never got old, and she knew it never would. There was something about the raw power between her legs that made her feel as though she had an intimate relationship with the bike.

She glanced over her shoulder and noticed a very hesitant Vulcan Ambassador, "Ambassador, this is the best way to get there, the Ambassadorial Convoy is too conspicuous," she stated. The Vulcan arched a brow as he examined the motorcycle; he then glanced to her before slowly slipping behind her on the bike. She could feel his weight on the back as he settled making the springs dip, it was a good thing she had opted for a two seater, it wasn't much larger but would due, they didn't have to go far.

She waited patently for his hands to wrap around her waist, she didn't need him flailing helplessly behind her, and if the weight wasn't evenly distributed she knew from experience that they were going to crack up. Kate waited a little longer only to realize he was probably at war with himself, he was a Vulcan and they didn't touch others, especially humans. Kate suppressed an eye roll as she reached behind her and swept her fingers of the leather of her father's jacket. Soval was as still as stone as she did this, "Grab my waist, we don't need to wreck," she commanded softly. The Ambassador was still and she glanced over her shoulder to see his conflicted expression, "Don't worry you won't hurt me," she encouraged. It was then she noticed a light green sweep across his cheeks and ears, Soval was blushing.

Kate smiled a little, it was actually endearing to see the fearless Vulcan blush. "Just hold on Soval, I'll take you there," she stated. The Ambassador finally slipped his arms around her waist, his large palms radiated heat that she had never known. In passing she noticed that Vulcan's had a higher body temperature but to feel it through her jacket and seep deeply into her skin caused her stomach to flutter. She could feel his powerful chest against her back and his strong arms enveloping her. Amanda stared at them, a knowing smile curling her lips, of course she had seen it. Kate mentally cursed her for being so keen and glared at her with a great deal of irritation, silently daring her to say a word.

Once Soval was settled Kate quickly turned out of the garage and slipped into the street. She smiled a little at the realization that no one, excluding Suran and Amanda, knew that she was taking the Ambassador out of the country, including the press. She had instructed Suran to release the information that the Ambassador was going to leave the Consulate once they were on the flitter leaving for the North. That way they would avoid the vultures known as the press.

The beat of the city is infectious, it manages to worm its way into the hearts of not only its inhabitants but visitors as well. Traffic is governed by this and the sound of a Yamazaki ripping through the streets passing flitters with easy made the rest of the city stand still. Kate shifted with ease as she powered through the traffic, weaving through it with ease, she leaned into the curves reveling in the speed and feeling of the air rushing past her face. This ride felt even better than most, she smiled a little as she passed a bus, reveling in the fact that she blew by it.

Powerful arms were wrapped around slender waist, tightening slightly, broad palms were pressed against her stomach, their heat searing her skin. She felt something stirring in her blood, she wasn't sure if it was because Soval's hands were hot or the fact that he was pressed against her and she could smell the exotic spice of Vulcan. It was enough to drown her senses. She could tell he was nervous however, she didn't understand how, but she could sense it.

Kate changed lanes as she got in the proper lane to cross the Golden Gate Bridge, Kate chuckled as she said swiftly, "Soval, relax and let me take you for a ride," The Ambassador huffed and felt a grin split her lips. The innuendo hadn't escaped her, at first she wanted to kick her self for saying such a thing, yet he didn't berate her. She hummed as she turned down a ramp that lead underground, the shuttle was being prepared and since it was a research and recreation shuttle, the only ones that might recognize them were Vulcans and she doubted there would be many leaving for the Yukon. She pulled up to the platform and quickly turned the bike off. She dismounted with ease and watched as Soval slipped off it as though he had been riding it for years.

She watched him curiously, he moved with the same fluid grace she had come to expect from the Vulcan. The dark brown jacket made his skin seem lighter and slightly golden, with a hue of green, as though he were a copper sculpture. "This is our transport?" asked the Ambassador as he looked a the small flitter, it was the size of a regular shuttle, it's sleek silver body was bulkier than most and the vents on it had black guards to prevent the ice from settling in them, the windows were tinted nearly black and Kate nodded. "Yup, standard transport to the Yukon, one of the snowiest regions in the world," she stated.

Suddenly one of the transport crews jogged over to her, "Forrest?" he asked nervously, his brown eyes flickered from Soval to her. Kate nodded and replied, "Yup, that's us. This needs to be put in cargo," she stated. The young man looked at the Yamazaki and replied, "Of course, I have a create and tags ready," he remarked as he ran his eyes over the Cobalt Blue machine, his tongue swept over his lips and she smirked, she knew he was imagining what it was like to ride her. "Thanks man," Kate said as she slapped him in the arm playfully before turning to Soval, who fell in place behind her.

Their boots made a racket against the metal flooring and grates of the station, the doors of the shuttle hissed as they opened, and the inside was a blinding white, with silver accents. Kate hummed as she was greeted by a rush of warm air and the chatter of researchers and tourists, Soval was the only Vulcan. She looked at the Ambassador and noticed he seemed calm, but she had a feeling he was uncomfortable. "Pass me the cube," she said softly as she turned her back to the rest of the cabin, it looked as though she were reaching into something. Dark fingers held out the small cube and she smiled as she opened it and pulled her bag out, "Hand me dad's jacket," she said softly as she slipped her own leather into it. Soval complied with ease and after a second both jackets were put away.

Kate slipped her bag over her shoulders and looked over at the many seats, many of the cabin's inhabitants were staring, she gently wrapped her hand around Soval's wrist and lead him to an empty area. She felt the Ambassador stiffen and whispered, "We have to act like friends," it was soft but she knew he would hear her. Soval was silent as he settled into the seat beside her, she had forced him to sit near the wall, it was easier to guard him that way. The chatter increased and she heard a boy ask, "Mom will I see Ice Bears?" The mother laughed and teased, "Perhaps."

Soval looked greatly confused and asked, "Doesn't he mean Polar Bears?" Kate paused, she was about to tell him only to see the book on the boy's lap, her lips curled upward and instantly she knew just what he was talking about. "No, he means Ice Bears, from Svalbard," she said brightly, she couldn't stop smiling, "they are characters in a famous earth work, _His Dark Materials_ , specifically the  _Golden Compass_." She glanced over to see the boy curling up against the bulkhead, book in hand, his eyes gliding over the pages, it was nice to know some things didn't change. She could remember the first time she had read the work, it was on a similar trip with her father to the North.

The Vulcan eyed the book keenly, he was about to ask another question when the captain's voice cracked over the intercom. Kate hummed as she scanned the room, ignoring the voice of the captain and his checks. "Stark had asked that you bring a spyglass," he said after a moment, "Suran informed me that Amanda had packed it." Kate's gaze fell on him as she felt the shuttle lift on the ground, now she understood why the spyglass was in her bag, the only thing she truly needed was the Astrolabe. She slowly opened her bag and pulled out the black case, "You mean this," she remarked as she held out the brass spyglass nestled in gray padding and velvet to Soval.

He slowly reached out and swept his fingers over the brass and leather grip. "Why would he ask you to do so?" he asked curiously as he wrapped his hands around it and pulled it out of the case. The shuttle pulled forward and Kate drew a deep breath before saying, "There are things which can be seen through that spyglass that can't be through any other." Soval took the cap off and she watched the Ambassador gaze through it, "It does not utilize a glass lens, I do not recognize this substance," he said with genuine interest as he looked at the lens it's self. "It's made of a very thin piece of Blue Amber," she replied, "It is able to pick up wave lengths that most stones can not." Soval nodded as he collapsed the spyglass and then slipped the cap back over the lens.

He handled the item with care, as though he was aware of just how rare it truly was. "He had also instructed me to remember the following.  _But the stars that marked our starting fall away. We must go deeper into greater pain, for it is not permitted we stay_ ," he recounted with the ease of any scholar. His voice caressed each word with the same supple tone she had come to expect from him, part of her wondered how long it had taken him to learn Standard. He spoke it with such conviction and confidence that it must have taken him many years to master it, either that or he had a gifted tongue. Kate blushed as she thought about his tongue, she didn't understand why as she shook her head.

Soval's brown eyes were locked on her, and she noticed his hair was slightly out of place thanks to the ride on the back of her motorcycle. To see a single hair out of place was odd and she had to restrain herself from reaching out and attending to the disarray. "It is from Dante's  _Inferno_ , a famous epic about purgatory and hell," she replied, it was then she wondered why Stark had quoted such a work. In no way was Stark religious, she knew that was certain, he was an atheist through and through. Soval lifted a dark gray brow and asked, "What does an epic poem have to do with our situation?"

Another riddle, Stark loved riddles, he had given her one that evening just to execute a hand off of information. The world was being tossed into turmoil. The terrorist group was rallying up long forgotten circuits of organized crime. She hadn't missed the Ambassador's comment about Stark becoming unable to contact them again, "He's foreshadowing," she replied softly, it was his way of telling them that things were about to become even more complex and violent, "He's anticipating even more violence." Soval was silent and an uneasiness settled between them, she didn't want to see anyone injured, especially not her charge, she wasn't going to fail, she couldn't.

The Ambassador drew a deep breath before saying, "I require meditation, please rouse me when we arrive." Kate jumped and immediately turned her attention to the Ambassador, already he had assumed a meditation posture and his eyes were closed. "One of these days he's going to have to teach me how the hell he does that," she mused as she watched him slip into a trance flawlessly.

~~vOv~~

Memories are some of the most powerful things, it isn't about the amount of information an individual is able to retain, but the power of emotions locked with in these moments. Moments which at the time had shaped who we are as an individual, they are fleeting, succulent and rare, they have enough power to impact us for life.

> _A gray landscape surrounded the Ambassador, once again the color from Vulcan's sands had been drained and he was surrounded by a bleak gray world that was nothing like his home. His brown eyes flickered around the rocks, there wasn't a drop of color, he was trapped in an old Terran monochrome photo. He yearned for the mind he had once that was filled with color, it was vivid and alive, yet time had managed to drain every last drop of life from him._
> 
> _There was a flicker and suddenly the sand beneath his feet and between his toes had vanished, he was falling. Soval was alarmed by how rapidly he was falling, his mind was turbulent but he had never lost control of his ability to keep memories in place. He staggered slightly as he stumbled into his own memory. It was unnerving, but apparently there was a portion of his mind that desired to show him something, if only he understood what had caused such a rapid fall. As the world seemed to steady he found himself sitting at his desk, his eyes landed on his own form sitting at the desk. He scowled in confusion as he rounded the desk and looked at the date on the chronometer, before he could even question it he heard the tap of heels, it was quick and echoed off the walls of the consulate._
> 
> _Immediately he knew it wasn't a Vulcan approaching, they didn't wear such shoes, they weren't practical. Human, their owner was human and he knew of only one Terran female that always wore heels. Soval watched his younger self perk up and look toward the door, the sultry voice that belonged to one of the most energetic women was heard, it bounded off the walls and seemed to cause a stir in the consulate. Then again, there were very few instances where the arrival of Katharine Monroe, Maxwell's fiancée, didn't cause a stir. Suran, who was currently hovering in the doorway, he was dressed in dark brown and orange robes, an ensemble that was typical for a Vulcan, said nervously, "Osu, Katharine Monroe is here to speak with you."_
> 
> _Soval suppressed the urge to smile, "SURAN I TOLD YOU TO CALL ME KITTY!" she shouted. The Vulcan Ambassador watched confusion flutter across Suran's face, it was a fascinating response. His lips quirked up as he began to mentally count, 3… 2… 1… "But you are not a cat, human's are descended from apes, not felines," he stated._
> 
> _Expressions were lost on Suran, no matter how long the aid had worked on Earth they were still confusing to him. Katharine stood in the doorway, her eyes narrowed and she tossed her brown hair over her shoulder before directing he glare to Suran. Soval noticed she was standing in a pair of towering high heels, jeans, a violet blazer with a white shirt and had a gray scarf covered in white tigers on it. Her hair was down and she had a pair of 1950s sunglasses on her head. Over her shoulder was a familiar black camera bag, something that was so natural that everyone in the Consulate had given up asking to inspect it._
> 
> _Suran didn't even flinch and stated, "It is illogical." Katharine crossed her arms before stating, as she always did, "Humans are illogical, get used to it." Soval's lips quirked up, she always did sass Suran, who had learned to simply except it. She turned her attention to Soval in the memory and asked, "Did you get a chance to look over my proposal?" Katharine stepped into his office, by that point Soval was standing and gestured to the seat across from him. Now he really did remember the day, it was one of the most anticipated in her career and one of the few times he was able to use his power as Ambassador to benefit a human._
> 
> " _Yes, I have and it was presented to the High Command," he replied. Katharine settled into the seat across from his desk and Soval asked Suran to bring in some tea, something mild that he typically served humans. He had learned long ago, with Max in particular, that Vulcan Spice tea was an 'acquired' taste. She sat up straight in the chair and he noticed the bag was sitting on the floor by her feet, clearly she was anticipating his result. "The High Command wasn't in agreement, however I have spoken with a number of artists who had viewed the expedition and decided to assist you. Kuvak, the Minister of Culture has agreed with me and is willing to assist you," he stated. He watched Katharine's eyes light up and she nearly leapt out of her seat. She smiled broadly as she leaned forward, "They don't mind being painted?" she asked._
> 
> _Soval knew that was a huge part of the shoot and shook his head, "They were nervous, however after seeing the original prints they believe it will be fascinating," he stated. In reality he had pressed Kuvak to agree, the photos when added to the massive exhibit that she was planning to include all the members of the fledgling Collation of Planets was going to be explosive. He was already well aware that the Andorians and Tellarties had agreed, which meant Vulcan, Earth's longest standing guide would be absent. He wasn't going to allow that._
> 
> " _So when do they arrive?" asked Katharine and Soval blinked, apparently she hadn't realized what he stated, "They are not." She looked even more confused as she crossed her arms and he continued, "You are going to Vulcan for the session, there are a number of people who want the images to be presented in our National Gallery, as well as the Collation's Exhibit." At that point her mouth fell open and he noticed she looked even more shocked, he was planning on taking her with him when he returned, he had invited Max as well. He had a feeling the pair would enjoy Vulcan, even if it was hot and very different from Earth. "NO WAY! That's amazing!" she shouted with joy, he had a feeling she would._
> 
> _Suran returned with the tea, it was then he noticed a smile curling his Aid's lips, it was just as well considering her excitement was something similar to a small child. "So the expenses are paid? When do I have to get on a shuttle? I have to tell Max," she began rambling. Soval held his hand up and shook his head, "You're expenses are covered by the High Command, and public transportation is unnecessary as is informing Lieutenant Forrest," he stated._
> 
> _He paused and steepled his hands before him, in an attempt to hide his slight smile, he couldn't resist with her, she was like a child stepping into his world, "He was informed as soon as the information that your proposition has been approved was delivered," he began as he wrapped his hand around his tea cup, "As for transportation, you will be travelling with myself on the T'Mir, Lieutenant Forrest will be going with us," he stated._
> 
> _Katharine was sipping her tea happily, he took a moment to breathe only to have her ask, "I was wondering if I could shoot your kids, you know, as the Ambassador of Vulcan I'm sure your kids would be all for getting covered in pain to amuse the illogical human." Soval froze his grip increased on the cup to the point he was worried about breaking it. He placed it on his desk, he drew a breath and noticed she looked insulted, "My wife and daughter are dead," he said softly._
> 
> _Silence fell between them, he could feel her sadness, "What happened?" she asked. Soval continued to look into his tea, he couldn't look at her, he just couldn't. "There was a bombing on Vulcan, the Romulans had set off charges across the city, my wife and daughter perished in one of the blasts," he said softly, he couldn't tell her the full story, and he hoped she wouldn't ask. There was a rustle and he felt a hand rest on his shoulder, it was cool. He looked up and noticed Katharine's tender gaze, "It's okay, we all lose people, but you know what's great about life?" she asked._
> 
> _Soval stared at her and remained silent, she took that as her cue to continue, "You somehow always get back what you've lost," she stated with a knowing smile._
> 
> " _How can one acquire once more what they lost?" he asked._
> 
> _Katharine smiled, "Oh don't worry, you will, and it will be in the most unconventional way and unusual time," she replied, "but, you'll be happy again, I know you will."_
> 
> " _How?" he asked as he looked up at the woman before him._
> 
> _Katharine smiled softly, "I just do."_
> 
> _Soval was silent as he watched the memory end and slipped back into the morose desert. Katharine Monroe, the photographer who would be one of the first to travel among the stars. He slowly looked at the horizon, and smiled fondly as he looked to the horizon. He pondered for a moment, why such a memory would come to the forefront of his mind, without his permission. There was a spark of red on the horizon and warmth surrounded him, it caused color to flood the sky and the realm around him._  "Soval,"  _called a voice softly. The voice was soft, lush and made his katra stir._

"Soval, we have arrived," she called once again, her voice was like that of a siren from old Earth lore, alluring. His eyes flickered open to see a pair of sky blue eyes gazing at him, she was so close, he could smell her soap, the woods, musk, and spices, she smelt like twilight in the woods.

She was leaning toward him, a breath away. A golden strand of hair slipped from behind her, falling in her face and he fought his desire to touch the strands himself and sweep it back. It looked as soft as silk, and he wondered if it was just as fine. "Soval?" she asked curiously, concern flickering in her eyes. His eyes slipped over her face, her full lips they were a light pink, her clear skin with a faint flush. "Soval?" she asked once more and placed a hand on his shoulder.

He shook himself to awareness and looked at the hand on his shoulder curiously, only for her to rapidly release him, "Sorry I was worried the cold was affecting you, we landed at the port," she stated. Soval looked up to see everyone leaving and he rose from his seat, "As we have yet to leave the compartment the possibility of the exterior temperature affecting my system is 0.172%," he stated logically. Kate's expression hardened and he watched as she pulled back, looking slightly irritated. He relied on logic, it kept his world up right, and prevented it from falling apart. He couldn't allow himself to slip into such a state.

Their bags were still heavy and he noticed how she handled hers with ease, they left the shuttle and he was met with a blast of cool air. It wasn't as cold as he anticipated, he had expected an icy wind, only to be greeted by a small terminal where the researchers were breaking up. The young boy was still clutching the novel. He walked past a large glass sign greeting them and noticed several bulletins flittering across it, in both Earth Standard as well as Andorian, it wasn't a surprise, he had a feeling many Andorians made their vacation plans to this region. He continued walking through the terminal, Kate was standing ramrod straight, and it was then he noticed her fingers at her sides, while she seemed relaxed there was a particular rigidness in her hands, as though she were prepared to pull a phaser at any point.

They walked with ease through the terminal, its inhabitants entirely unaware of their true identities and purpose. Just then Kate's PADD rang, he watched as she pulled out the black PADD and turned down a side hallway, "This way," she instructed as she continued down her path. Their footsteps echoed against the tile floors and the chill seeped through the tinted windows, the sun had long since set and the darkness of the night had arrived. She stood outside the doorway and looked over at him, "Alright, it's peak of winder, meaning it's going to be very cold," she stated.

Soval nodded as he watched her type in her pass code, part of him wondered if he should even question how she had managed to acquisition the information, and the other part realized this would be part of his daily life with her. The doors slid open and he was met by an icy wind, it chilled him to the bone despite the number of layers he was wrapped in. Waiting for them several feet from the door was a sleek silver flitter, it was radically different from the box like ones he was accustomed to. "Evora sent it, it's one of Stark's, no one will question it," Kate offered in explanation as she opened the door.

Without hesitation Soval slipped into the rather luxurious compartment, her stared at the fabric seats that were made of a custom weave, the seats hugged his body as he sat in the passenger seat. Kate was already sitting in the driver's seat and ran through the checks, his eyes flickered over the dashboard, only to realize there weren't any buttons. He was about to ask how it worked when he noticed several displays appear on the glass, "All go," she said simply and he noticed her tap several panels before finally lifting away.

Clearly it was another piece of Stark's technology, "Who is Evora?" asked Soval after a moment as Kate slowly turned the flitter about and continued vertically, the ground growing further away as she did so. "Evora, is the house keeper who keeps the Cabin in shape," she stated, "She also usually sends a ride." The flitter flew even higher until it was just above the towering evergreens. It was then he realized that the entire day she had been at the helm, that in reality he hadn't made a single decision after the speech, and yet he was comfortable with it.

Kate flew over the trees slowly before tapping a button on the steering column, Soval felt the flitter jerk forward and listened to the hum of the throttle as the engines switched from auxiliary thrusters to the major set. The flitter moved faster than even he anticipated, in fact, it was as fast as his privet shuttle on Vulcan. He wasn't aware of Terrans possessing something this fast. The trees were a blur as were the mountains, his focus was on the dark skyline, "You haven't argued with me at all, it's odd," stated Kate.

Soval looked at her, her eyes were locked on the scene before them, she wasn't using auto pilot, and it was then he realized just how capable she was. "You have made logical decisions, based upon our options," he replied stiffly, "You're responsible for my safety and since we have acquired this new task, you will do the best you can," he stated. Kate smiled a little as she pulled through the mountains, it was then she flew toward the valley. Soval was confused for a moment as she flew at a lower altitude. "We are nearly there," she answered, even though he never asked the question.

Rising out of the darkness were golden lights, as they drew nearer he noticed a structure rising out of the ground. Kate had mentioned that Stark owned a Cabin and he had anticipated a small structure, this wasn't small in any sense of the word. The structure was two floors, however it seemed grander with the massive glass front. The roof was tinned from what he could tell and there was a large traditional stone chimney. As they drew closer her realized just how tall the peak of the house was, the pitch of the room was nearly a perfect 45 degree angle, the frame work of the glass was stunning, the golden light flooding the dark valley made the golden hue of the wood stand out.

There were several black panels on the roof standing out against the white snow, windows, there was a great deal of light that seemed to get into the house. Kate navigated the portal with grace as she began to set up to set down. She gently lowered it to the ground, "Did I mention Stark really doesn't have to work? He just likes to tinker?" asked Kate as she turned the flitter off. He stared at her and Kate shrugged, "Come on, it's cold and it'll be warmer inside," she stated. Soval was greeted by another icy blast as she opened the flitter door. He wrapped his arms around himself and quickly to stave off some of the chill. His brown eyes were locked on the structure and he trudge through the deep snow, obviously Evora hadn't had time to prepare.

Kate quickly walked up to the door to the foyer, it was covered in carvings of the north, the details screamed the level of planning that went into building and furnishing the cabin. The large brass handles were old fashioned as he watched her open the double doors. He stepped over the threshold and found himself being wrapped in the warmth of the house, the lighting and furnishings were welcoming, as compared to the minimalist tendencies of Vulcans. He looked up to see the exposed beams over his head, the massive A frame created a grid of rafters and beams, the wooden columns that had erupted out of the floor made him feel as though he were part of the forest.

He heard the doors close behind him and he stared at the massive carvings of tree trunks on either side of the door. His eyes traveled over the pseudo exposed roots that had been carved to look as though they were breaking apart the dark tiles of the floor. "They are hand carved," Kate's voice caused him to look to the side, she was sweeping her fingers over the smooth wood, "They were carved by Jack Carter, Dr. Nathan Stark's husband, they built this place." Kate slowly waved him through and he followed her out of the foyer, he noticed a large staircase rising out of the floor and wrapping up the side of the building, it was lined with book cases and drawers. His eyes jumped from surface to surface, drawings of inventions and places hung on the walls. Most of these images were technical drawings of machines which flew, he noticed images of starships and planes. There were also tapestries of Inuit weavings and he looked over the bright colors.

He walked through another doorway only to find him self in a large room that was near the kitchen, the house seemed to have an open floor plan for the most part, so few walls that he felt as though he were in a wide open space. The living room was sunken in, he had to walk down the stairs and the sofa and chairs were nestled before an expansive fireplace. "Evora is asleep," stated Kate. Soval nodded as he looked over to the side to see a breakfast bar and massive kitchen off to the side. It was as though a single expense hadn't been spared in the construction of the cabin.

Soval turned his attention to the windows and asked, "What are they made of?" Kate smiled as she replied, "It's an impenetrable transparent alloy, the name escapes me. Honestly Stark would know." Soval nodded, it was an acceptable enough answer.

~~vOv~~

Kate shivered the cold of the outside world had slipped through her thermals and she looked over at the Ambassador who was eyeing the environmental controls. She hummed as she called out, "Raise the temperature 15 degrees," she said. Immediately the room responded and she looked at the control panel. She sighed as she slipped out of her coat and placed it over the back of the sofa, rolling her stiff shoulders as she did so. Her body was stiff from the tension and the amount of time she had spent sitting in the shuttle, the motorcycle ride and running around the consulate, for her it had been a 20 hour day and her muscles were protesting to every movement.

She slipped her hands over her neck and slowly kneaded at the back of it while tipping her head back, she closed her eyes and exhaled. "Alright," she said after a moment as she looked at the Ambassador who was slipping out of his coat, he looked a little more comfortable. "What do you want for dinner? We will have to run into town in the morning for fresh produce and such," she stated. The Vulcan Ambassador picked up her coat and carried his own to the closet, she watched as he hung them. "I have no preference outside of my dietary requirements," he stated. Of course he was attempting to make it easier on her and Kate sighed as her hands rested on her hips, "Alright, soup and bread it is, it's too late to make anything else," she stated.

She was about to walk into the kitchen only to pause and sit on the sofa, she sank into the cushions of the navy blue sofa that had a large and colorful tribal blanket across the back and slipped her boots off. She listened to the black footwear hit the floor and then gathered them up, "My feet are sore from these things," she stated absently as she walked toward the foyer and placed them on one of the shelves. It was then she noticed that Soval's were next to hers, she paused and noticed the size difference, his were much larger and she sighed why the sight of her boots next to his made her pause was beyond her. She rubbed her hands together as she wandered through the living room, it hadn't changed since she had visited as a child.

The high ceilings, the colorful Inuit tapestries and wood that surrounded them. She hummed as she swept through the house and entered the kitchen, just as she pulled a pot and went through the fridge for vegetables Soval asked, "Would you like some assistance?" Kate looked up and paused as she placed a stack of carrots on the block, standing at the entrance of the kitchen was the Vulcan Ambassador in a sleek black turtleneck sweater, his sleeves were rolled up and the charcoal gray snow pants he had been wearing were still present. Kate's lips suddenly felt dry and she slowly licked her lips, "Sure," she replied, her voice soft and sounded nervous even to her own ears.

Soval stood beside her, his sleeves were rolled up as he looked at the food, "We do not handle our food with our hands," Soval stated. Kate smiled at him as she asked, "Then could you open the stock and keep an eye on the stove?" Soval nodded and proceeded to do as she instructed. Kate quickly opened a container of vegetable stock, it looked as though Evora had intended to use it later, "Here, use this for the base," she said as she held the white container out to him. The Ambassador grabbed the top of the jug and said, "Thank you." The pair paused and Kate looked up at the Ambassador, his dark eyes fell on her blues and he replied, "Of course," as he took the container.

Kate hummed as she turned her attention to the carrots she was chopping, there was silence between them as they cooked, each moving around one another as though it were the most natural dance they had ever done. They moved with grace as Kate added ingredients to the pot and Soval checked the bread as well as stirred the pot's contents and added spices in small precise increments. His fingers moved deftly as he tapped the spices free of their confines and into the stock.

The sound of the gas stove's flame burning in the range coupled with the sound of a knife hitting the cutting board made the room settle into a serene silence. For that brief amount of time, the world seemed to fade, there wasn't Terra Prime, they weren't in the Yukon to meet an unknown man to get the Logic Diamond Reader, Vulcan's economy wasn't under distress, the weapons signatures didn't exist, all that mattered was that they were cooking a meal, together. Kate looked over to Soval, she admired his powerful shoulders and back, they had been highlighted by the thick sweater he was wearing that seemed to hug him.

Oddly she mentally thanked Suran for selecting the garment, she had a feeling that Soval hadn't selected it for himself. "I shall set the table," stated Soval as he lowered the heat on the soup and looked through the cabinets. "Here," she rushed as she reached over his shoulder, only she hadn't seen his hand hovering over the handle. Her fingers brushed his elegant long fingers that stood out against the golden wood of the hand crafted cabinets and the silver handles. A spark slipped through her skin, sending a shiver of pure pleasure through her spine, she gasped at the strength of it. Her heart sped up and suddenly she felt her stomach flutter. Soval was frozen and she noticed the tips of his ears turning green against his silver hair. His regal profile was dusted with an olive green blush as he stiffened, slowly the Vulcan closed his eyes and drew a breath. Kate was enthralled, as his dark eyes opened, his pupils were dilated and he turned his head, they were so close she could see the streaks of gold in his irises. He smelt of the desert moon, and exotic spices from his teas and incents.

"Major Forrest," he breathed, his voice was lush like velvet but raspy. Kate stared at him, she wanted to move, but couldn't find the strength to. She was trapped by this clever Vulcan, "Katharine," he whispered as he slowly drew back, his hands behind his back in a flash. She stared at him in confusion until she noticed how his chest heaved, "Soval," she said softly and shook her head, "Sorry, what was that?" she asked. She slowly rubbed her temple with her fingers and closed her eyes. There was a humming in the back of her mind when they had touched, yet now there wasn't. It was then she remembered Vulcan's were touch telepaths but didn't realize that a brush of the hand would result in something that powerful. She had touched the Ambassador before but never felt the spark.

Soval looked at the bowls and cautiously pulled them out of the cabinet, avoiding her reach. "A Vulcan's hands are very sensitive, what you had experienced inadvertently is how many mates display affection," he explained cautiously, observing every rule of propriety. Kate's blue gaze never left him and she nodded, it was always a joy to learn about the mysterious culture, "So it's like a caress in human terms?" she asked curiously.

The Ambassador shook his head and replied, "No, it is the Vulcan equivalent of a kiss." Kate felt her cheeks heat up and she wanted to hide, Kate ran her fingers through her hair, tugging at it a little as she did so. "I k-kissed you? By accident?" she asked softly, her hand covering her eyes as shame swept over her. She had just managed to kiss her charge, the man she was to protect. It was then she realized it was actually more than that. She had just kissed the Vulcan Ambassador Soval, one of the most powerful forces on Earth and respected diplomats known.

He retreated to the dining room carrying the white square bowls and a black whicker basked for the bread. She watched curiously as he reached into a cupboard and pulled out red cloth. Red, the color of the skies of Vulcan and her sands, Kate knew there were blue clothes as well as white ones, yet he had selected a vivid color, something bold and daring. She watched him move about the dining room, it was painted a daring navy blue, which contrasted the golden wooden walls that glowed thanks to the soft filters placed on the LED fixtures hanging from the ceiling off to the sides. The sides were lined with dark mahogany sideboards and a buffet as well as a drop leaf table, all of which looked as though the woods had slipped into the room. There were branches and leaves carved into their sides and the glass panels were held in the door panels by what had looked like a thicket of thin branches, the glass sparkling like due in the morning sun. Glasses were lined up behind them as well as various other necessities to host a diner of grandeur.

However, it was the dinning room table that stood out the most. It was a tangle of branches that had been sanded and sealed, they varied in color. Some branches were nearly white, others gold and a large mahogany branch twisted through the middle. The table it's self was a large piece of scratch resistant transparent aluminum. She watched as Soval placed several cloth place mats on the table, they were also a bold red. Kate took the hint and put the soup in a large bowl and watched as Soval grabbed a smaller mat and a cast iron wheel. He had set the places so they were at opposite ends of the large table, it was as though he had created a barrier between them. Obviously he was taking precautions, to which Kate couldn't object, she had no interest in once again finding herself in such an awkward position.

She returned to the kitchen and brought out a wooden board, the bread resting atop of it as though it always belonged there. Soval was standing at attention, waiting for her to enter, it was then she wondered if he would always be so ridged around her. She placed the board on the table and slowly took her seat, only for Soval to follow suit. Dinner was a silent affair and she had a feeling it was going to continue on like this. The awkwardness that had settled between them made her want to leap across the table and ask him why he was behaving in such a way, it was an accident.

~~vOv~~

Pages flickered and with each passing day Archer learned not only how Max had seen the world, but just what the world truly was. Each page told him of the man's life and his vision and the more he read the more he learned of Katharine Monroe and Max's undying affection for her. Yet, there was darkness, it was so black he wondered how Max had managed to fight it. He shifted in his chair on deck and watched as the stars flew by, he was on duty and yet his mind wandered back to the journal. Admiral Forrest had stated it held the answers they sought, but he couldn't figure it out. He had yet to find them in those pages. While he had learned a great deal about how the Admiral went from Lieutenant to Captain in a blink, he still wondered just what else was hiding in the shadows and how much Soval had known.

Soval and the Admiral were friends, closer than anyone else had achieved with the Ambassador, and yet the Vulcan's were keeping secrets. The lack of trust from the newly appointed High Council of Vulcan spoke volumes of the treachery that the culture had been subjected to. T'Pol had managed to clean house, however there was still a question as to if all of the followers of V'Las had been located and disposed of. There was no reason for Kuvak and T'Pau to question Soval's ability as the Ambassador, he had always been working in their best interest and had been there preventing Vulcan from tearing it's self apart.

There was more, there had to be. "Captain," called Hoshi, "I'm receiving a distress signal from a Vulcan vessel." Archer snapped to attention and leaped out of his seat, a vessel in peril would be just enough to pull him out of his musings and perhaps clear his head, the journal and questions surrounding the previous events had been clouding his mind. "On screen," he commanded, as he looked over to T'Pol he noticed her standing as well with her hands clasped behind her back. His hazel eyes fell on the screen before them as it flickered, "Captain Archer," drawled an unfamiliar voice, it was stiff and nothing like those of T'Pol or Soval. Archer stared at the young Vulcan on the screen, he had dark brown eyes and a head full of black hair, his skin was bronze and had a slender build. "Who am I addressing?" he asked inquisitively. Vulcan's weren't known for reaching out when in trouble, they were much too proud, in fact they were just as difficult as Andorian's when it came to asking for aid.

"Sarek son of Surak and successor of Ambassador Soval," replied the Vulcan stiffly. Archer froze Surak was the father of Vulcan logic, his name was only whispered in corridors, he didn't realize there was still a family on Vulcan that had a stake with the name. Archer watched the Vulcan grip the consul as the ship jostled slightly, "We are experiencing engine failure, as well as life support failure, I have already had the crew evacuate," he stated. Even though he was emotionless and as calm as the surface of a serene lake, it was possible to see a hint of fear in his eyes.

Archer sobered to this statement, for a Vulcan to abandon a vessel meant they truly were in trouble, they would never do it other wise. "Sarek is there any hope for the engines?" asked Archer quickly before calling to Hoshi, "Get Trip up here." If there was anyone that could aid the failing Vulcan vessel it was Trip. Sarek was rapidly hitting buttons on several panels, his eyes becoming wild as he replied, "No, and I have less than five minutes left of oxygen," he said as he gripped the consul, his dark skin was turning far too pale, it was nearly translucent.

Archer stared in shock as the Vulcan swayed, it was less than that and Sarek was facing damage. "Archer to Trip," he called, Hoshi had him on stand by as always, "Trip, Cap'n," replied the blonde engineer. "Trip get him out of there, the last thing we need is to deal with a dead citizen of Vulcan," he commanded rapidly, knowing it would take a minute for Trip to reach the transporter. He turned his attention to the screen and watched as Sarek slowly began to close his eyes, "Sarek, lower your shields, we'll beam you out," he stated. Shran slowly opened his eyes and nodded slightly as he set to work.

"Shield on the Vulcan ship have been lowered," called Malcolm, the Captain only nodded and watched as Shran grabbed a black box, he assumed it was for the star ship, it wouldn't be the first time the remaining officer made a move to save the ship's black box. "Hoshi, get Phlox to the transporter, tell him to be equip to handle a Vulcan," he stated as he watched the Commander clutch the box to his chest. "Aye, sir," she replied diligently and he listened to her chatter in the background.

"Archer to Trip," he called only to hear Trip's voice acknowledge him on the other end, "Energize." He watched on the other end as Sarek was split into particles and waited, the Vulcan was out of the ship, now his only concern was if Phlox could help him. "T'Pol, you have command," he stated as he swept across the bridge, making his way to the turbo lift, he was going to see that Sarek had arrived himself. T'Pol settled in his chair and began firing orders Hoshi, vaguely he heard his First Officer instruct them to locate the scattered crew as he entered the lift.

The doors of the turbo lift closed and he grabbed the side railing waiting for it to arrive, someone had attacked Sarek and from what he could tell it had done substantial damage. It was probably Klingon, at least he thought it was, there had been a great deal of unrest with the Klingon Empire, much to the delight of the Collation. The lift came to a halt and Archer nearly sprinted down to the transporter room. "Captain," greeted Phlox, who was already kneeling beside Sarek, he was administering hypos and scanning him constantly. The Vulcan's prone form was on a stretcher, "He is suffering from mild asphyxiation, I'll have him better soon enough once we get him to sick bay," he said shortly. Archer nodded as he watched the stretcher be moved from its position and rushed down the hallway.

He was about to leave when he spotted the black box, he sighed as he slowly picked it up. It was unusual and didn't look like a piece of Vulcan technology he knew. His fingers swept over the sides of it, it was made of an alloy of some kind and was heavier than it appeared to be at first. "Bridge to the Captain," called a familiar voice, he quickly walked over to the wall and hit the intercom, "Archer," he replied as he looked at the box in his hands. "Sir, we have located the debris of the escape pod," T'Pol stated, "It was only large enough for five members." Archer paused, five crew members and Sarek, it was a small vessel, one of the smallest he had seen travel through space at such a distance before. Sarek was going somewhere and traveling light. "What can you tell me about the ship?" he asked after a moment.

T'Pol instantly replied, "It is designed primarily for speed, it has limited weapons capabilities and utilizes a warp drive unlike our own." Now he was very intrigued, from what he knew the Vulcan's could just barely reached Warp 7, for T'Pol to say it was significant meant that the ship could go far faster than that. "How fast?" asked Archer. It was then that Trip decided to make himself known and replied, "Warp 9, perhaps faster, I'm not sure how they did it, but the core failed." The Captain stared at the box in his hands, it may have been Vulcan but he doubted it, they didn't tend to make things as simple and ambiguous as this devise.

He looked to the intercom before responding, "Scan the ship and tell me how it all happened. T'Pol, set up a room for Sarek, make sure he is comfortable and then contact Vulcan. They will want to know about this, I'll see if I can get a hold of Ambassador Soval," he stated. He listened to them acknowledge his commands and began to walk down the hallway, he was unaware that Soval had a protégé, he would have been one of the first informed after the amount of work they did together. His boots clomped against the flooring as his fingers swept over the cube, before he realized it he was standing in his quarters.

He had to contact the Vulcan High Council, they would want to know of what had transpired involving their envoy. Archer waited for a response, all the while he was composing just how he was going to inform them that he had located the ship and learned that Sarek was in danger. The screen crackled to life and Archer was greeted by the image of T'Pau, she hadn't changed since he had met her in the Forge. He had been expecting to speak with Kuvak, he lifted his hand and formed a rather cumbersome Ta'al, no matter how long T'Pol had instructed him he was still unable to make the gesture. "Live long and prosper, T'Pau," he greeted. She nodded and greeted stiffly, "Captain Archer."

The captain looked at T'Pau and realized there was no point in small talk, she was Vulcan and as T'Pol often stated they didn't simply chat. "We received a distress signal from a Vulcan vessel, a majority of it's crew is dead, the only survivor is named Sarek," he stated. T'Pau was silent and he watched the woman carefully only for a spark of something appear in her eyes, he knew Vulcan's weren't unfeeling but this Vulcan in particular didn't mind suppressing her emotions. "How is Sarek?" she asked after a moment. Archer paused, he was about to tell her more of the ship, but to hear her ask about the young man who was clearly the captain oddly interrupted the thought. "He is suffering from Acute Asphyxiation, he is currently in a healing trance, but Phlox assures me that the damage is minimal," he replied.

She stared at him and asked, "There are no other Vulcan vessels in your vicinity, what happened?" Archer noticed the ice that seemed to settle in her voice. He blinked and replied, "We are currently investigating that, he had stated that he is a member of the house of Saruk, I was hoping you would be able to contact his family and inform them of the incident." There was silence and he watched as T'Pau shifted before him, it was strange in a way to watch a Vulcan shift when they were typically sitting rapidly at attention. "There is no need," she replied.

Archer glared and began, "They will want to know what has occurred and to be frank his family as the right to know that their son is out of danger." T'Pau held up her hand gracefully before responding, "There is no need, because I am his mother." Archer stared in confusion only to realize he was gaping rudely, "You are his mother," he repeated as though testing it for himself. Of course he had known the man in question for less than five minutes but honestly couldn't see the resemblance. "Yes," she replied tritely, or what he assumed to be trite.

It was then Archer remembered the device he was holding in his hand. "T'Pau, do you know what this is?" he asked as he held it up to her. T'Pau eyed the object curiously, he watched her eye brows shoot up, "No Captain, why?" Archer turned it over in his hand, his fingers sweeping over it's pointed corners and straight edges. "It was found on Sarek, he was very determined to keep it with him, or at least he was during the beam out," Archer stated. T'Pau folded her hands before her, "I have never seen it," she replied. Archer huffed and his head drooped, he would just have to wait for Sarek to rouse. "Thanks T'Pau," he stated.

She nodded, "Peace and Long Life, Captain Archer," T'Pau said smoothly before the screen went black. As always she didn't wait for him to finish communicating with her. He turned the cube over again and decided it was time to contact Soval, perhaps he would hold the answer, or at least he hoped so. He quickly dialed the consulate only to come face to face with Suran, it was odd usually Soval answered himself, since the Enterprise was known for getting its self tangled in diplomatic issues. "Hello Suran, I'm looking for Ambassador Soval," he said simply. Suran stared at him, for once he seemed nervous, "The Ambassador is not in," stated Suran as he glanced to the side, "He will be back in a week," Archer stared at the screen in pure shock. Ambassador Soval wasn't available, that was impossible. Soval had practically taken every communication of his especially after the Andorian affair and loss of Admiral Forrest.

Archer stared at Suran and asked, "So he's off world?" Suran drew a deep breath and he heard someone say, "For god sake, Jon!" called a very familiar voice. A young woman with dark brown eyes and brown hair appeared, "Major Cole?" he asked in confusion. She groaned and stated, "Yeah, hi. Look is this line secure?" Archer nodded, he always used a secure line when contacting Soval. Why he wouldn't confused him, "Good, the Ambassador and Major Forrest are currently in the Arctic Circle, well outside of range. They are going to pick up something required to read a piece of software," she explained.

Of all the places for Soval to go, the arctic wasn't one he would think of. He nodded, "Kitty is with him?" asked Archer after a moment, his mind flew back to the journal and Suran nodded. "Why?" he asked. Suran was the one to speak and replied, "It is a long story." Archer could tell it wasn't something to speak about and nodded, "Fine, just tell him that we have his protégé Sarek," he stated. He didn't wait for them to reply as Malcolm had just asked for him.

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is a very long chapter. I had no idea where to break it. Honestly, I wanted to get it all out and at the same time I was conflicted. If you would like to suggest a break feel free to do so in the comments.
> 
> I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Leonard Nimoy, he was the original Vulcan and we will miss him. I remember when I was a kid sitting up and waiting for my dad to come home, he used to work in New Jersey, I live pretty far from there, and didn't get home from work until midnight. I would sit up and wait for him, when he got home he would put aside his laptop and turn on the TV to Star Trek, the OST. Every night my father and I would watch the adventures of Captain Kirk and Commander Spock. As time passed we watched Next Generation and eventually Enterprise, but I still remember my first time watching.
> 
> The first time I saw a Vulcan and knew that I wanted to write them.
> 
> When I became older I saw his film, "Never Forget" I was moved and couldn't help but admire his dedication. Late in college when I had stopped spending time with my father, and all but forgotten about those moments on the sofa, I saw his name again in my photography class and was inspired by his photography, I hadn't learned it was his until later.
> 
> Mr. Nimoy, you have inspired the world to dream of diversity, to see the dangers of closed mindedness and the pain it brings. You dared us to imagine a world greater than our own, and day, after day, remind us of the beauty of life.
> 
> I don't think we will ever be able to forget the humanitarian, the artist, and friend to the world, he will live on through his work and the stories we tell. We grieve for thee, Mr. Nimoy. You will be missed. May your journey among the stars and even beyond be full of adventure, prosperity and new stories to tell. #LLAP
> 
> Live Long and Prosper Among the Stars, Mr. Nimoy. It is where you truly belong.

The morning was brisk, the air of the house was electrified as the sound of feet scampering through the hallways erupted, causing the silence to fleet as life took root once more. The once still and dead halls had sprung with new vivid emotions that seemed to seep into the wooden walls. The scent of fresh breads, berries and eggs wafted from the kitchen and curled through the house. The earthiness of traditional French Roast Coffee, the exotic spices of Vulcan tea and the subtle scent of cinnamon, roused Kate. She slowly rolled onto her side and looked out the massive landscape window, her eyes narrowing after a moment, Evora wasn’t going to arrive until later that day, near the middle of the day.

 

Kate slowly rolled out of bed and called out, “Computer, time,” groggily, her brain was still wrapped in fog and her voice was rough. The computer sparked to life immediate, “0715, Major Forrest,” it replied. Kate hummed as she sat up and stretched her arms over her head, her joints popping as she did so. The black silk sheets pooled around her waist and she hummed, Stark had always been one for fine items, and oddly the black sheets were something she had grown accustomed to, and she chuckled. Amanda had given her a set of black satin sheets in case she ever decided to bring a man to her place. She never truly understood the appeal of black sheets, they were beautiful and different but other then that they were simply sheets.

 

She pushed back the gray duvet that was covered in red and black reeds. Her fingers ran through her messy blonde hair and she slipped out of her bed. “Computer, Playlist eighteen track two,” she commanded. She listened to the sound of a record turning and laughed, of course Stark had used that as a sign that the song was going to play, he always did have a sense of humor as she heard the needle hit the record and the familiar bass intro of “Before We Fall in Love.”

 

Kate hummed as she walked over to her pack and pulled out a thick black sweater and a pair of dark blue jeans. “Computer, increase volume to 68 percent,” she called as she reached into her pack and pulled out an slate gray bra and pair of matching panties, “Leave it to Amanda to make sure my underwear matches, even though no one is going to see it,” she griped as she slipped into them. Dressing was easy as she threw the articles on, her movements in time with the infectious rhythm of the piece, her movements were swift as she slipped the sweater over her head.

 

Finger tips slipped over plush black socks as she slipped them on and then ran into the bathroom only to purposely slide to a stop before the mirror. Her blue eyes widened and she groaned, her hair was everywhere, it was knotted in places she didn’t think it could be. “Damn it,” she groaned as she pulled out her detangle spray and proceeded to spray her hair before running a comb through it. After a few minutes of battling her tangled and wild mien she had managed to make it look presentable. She quickly left the bathroom and decided to investigate where the delightful smell of bread and cranberries was coming from. She walked down the hallways with her PADD in hand only to find that the music was following her.

 

Usually she would go for a run and work out, however she was more concerned about the Ambassador, he was accustomed to living his life in a very specific order, his schedule was like a well oiled Swiss clock, it was never out of step. She quickly trotted down the stairs, her music slowly dying down as she did so, only for her to be greeted by a sound that was oddly soothing, it was an orchestra playing softly, it was the sound of a gentle piano and a soft string accompaniment. She closed her eyes and felt herself become swept away, she turned walked through the living room and stare at the sight of a tall figure standing in the kitchen.

 

His silver hair was impeccable as always and she noticed how his thick sweater settled nicely at his hips, he was wearing a pair of gray slacks and the deep red sweater stood out. His sleeves were rolled up and he was wearing a pair of clear gloves, “Good morning,” she said after a moment as she watched the Vulcan finish slicing a few berries and placing them in a bowl. Soval turned, his expression was blank but she noticed his eyes seemed brighter, the golden rays of the sun swept over his skin and she realized this was the first time she had truly taken the time to admire him. “Good morning, Major,” he replied.

 

Kate sighed, she was back to being Major Forrest, somehow with her step forward the night before she had managed to slip three steps back. She allowed her shoulders to fall slightly before walking over to the black coffee pot, of course there was a real one, all Starks were known for practically mainlining caffeine. It was a family trait, at least which was the rumor, since nearly every photo of Nathan Stark, Nathanial’s ancestor and the one who had managed to amass the fortune, was never taken without a cup of coffee in hand. She reached into one of the cupboards and pulled out a white mug and poured a generous amount of the dark liquid into the cup.

 

Blue eyes drifted over to the bowl to see strawberries, blue berries and a few slices of orange. The scent of cranberries confused her as she looked over to the counter that was lightly dusted with flour. The time rang and Kate watched as Soval reached into the stainless steel state of the art propane oven and pull out a tray of golden triangles with brilliant dried cranberries through it. He placed the tray on the range and closed the door, “Cranberry Orange Scones,” he said simply as he reached for a platter. Kate’s eyes widened, the Ambassador could cook, and it wasn’t only Vulcan food.

 

The sweetness of cranberries coupled with the bright orange from the scones caressed her nose and she closed her eyes as she purred. “They smell great! I didn’t know you could cook,” she said curiously as she looked at the golden wedges, they were perfect triangles and she realized that the smell had roused her, “You didn’t have to make breakfast,” she said after a moment as guilt washed over her. She was supposed to be the host and yet he made breakfast.

 

The Ambassador picked up a spatula and began to gently lift each triangle from the now browned parchment and placing it on the tray. The wedges stood out against the white and the Ambassador replied, “It is tradition on Vulcan that the guests cook breakfast.” Kate stared at him and noticed how he carried the tray with purpose to the breakfast bar, not that she minded, the dinning room was intimidating enough, she didn’t need to feel as though she would be critiqued for her manors as well. Soval placed the bowl of fruit before them as well as serving spoons and a pair of tongs, he had light parchment paper cut in squares, which she quickly realized was for him to use to eat with. She was about to ask about the eggs when Soval placed a plate before her, they were over-easy. “How did you know how I liked my eggs?” she asked curiously. Not even Amanda knew that detail and she knew nearly everything about Kate.

 

The Vulcan sat across from her and picked up the serving spoons before putting some fruit on his plate. There was a great deal of finesse in his movements, each subtle gesture was polished making her wonder how long it had taken for him to learn these skills. Soval did not offer a reply and Kate realized that he was probably more concerned with sustenance, then conversation. She lifted the fork to her lips, “We will have to go shopping, this was all I could find,” he explained after a pause.

 

She knew it would be it had been a while since the house had seen guests and it didn’t surprise her much. “We can head into town, besides we need to pick up a few things before we go on our hike tonight,” she stated with ease as she broke the tip of the scone off and slipped it between her lips. She purred as she tasted a delicate medley of citrus and cranberries with a hint of natural sugar, oddly the Ambassador could bake. “An evening hike?” he asked curiously. Kate paused and looked over to see a genuinely confused Ambassador, clearly he didn’t realize what the technicalities of this entire series of events.

 

She placed her fork down before looking at him, “It’s the only time we can see it, the night and the best place to view them is by a frozen lake, about a mile and a half from here,” she explained. Soval was quiet, she could tell he wasn’t too keen on this idea, to be honest if it were warmer it wasn’t as bad, however it was the coldest time of the year to do this and she wondered just what Stark had been thinking, only to remember that during that time it was impossible to detect flitters and communications due to the electrons in the atmosphere. Soval seemed to stiffen at the notion, his tension causing his once fluid movements to become slightly jagged, and less polished.

 

Kate drew a deep and calming breath, as Suran had attempted to teach her, it seemed to be the only lesson she had understood, “Look Stark sent our contact there, not my idea but we don’t have a choice,” she said tersely. It was the truth, she would have selected a warmer climate, then again it was clever, no one would think to look for the Vulcan Ambassador in the arctic. “Why did he ask for you to bring the spyglass?” he asked. Kate drew a deep breath and puffed out her cheeks, “I have no idea, Starks have always been eccentric, I’ve just learned to deal with it,” she commented.

 

The silence stretched between them as she picked up the bowls and went to put the aside, “Evora will wash them, we don’t have a lot of time before our hike and we need to pick up some things,” she commented. The Ambassador nodded as he followed her to the foyer, it was then he watched her reach into the closet and pull out her thick jacket and boots. “It’s going to be colder than it was the night before, but we can’t afford to lose this shot,” she said after a moment. Soval picked up his boots and slipped them on, she noticed him listening to her attentively, it was strange for him to listen to her when it came to issues of this nature. “What is the Julep Festival?” he asked. Kate stared at him in confusion as she narrowed her eyes in confusion, “The what?” she asked. Soval pointed to the door and noticed it was written in Evora’s handwriting, apparently she was up and about, more likely than not she was in the laundry room or cleaning. Apparently Evora’s handwriting was just as bad as it always had been.

 

Kate snatched the note off the door and proceeded to turn it upside down and various other ways in an attempt to decipher the nearly impossible handwriting of Evora.  It amazed her how people could get away with such atrocious penmanship, then again nearly everything was computerized. “That’s not Julep that’s Jolt, of course Stark would send us up here during that,” she growled. Soval stared at her, of course she had no idea what a crazy little two in the middle of the Yukon territory did for fun and all because years ago Stark, Stark and Stark couldn’t help but show off. It was legendary, or at least to anyone who had lived in the Yukon long enough. Nathan Stark, Kyle Stark, Nathan and Jack’s son, and Tony Stark – Nathan’s half brother - all had gotten together and decided to have a little competition involving pyrotechnics and a race through the territory on hover boards designed for snow. Terrible things happened when you put three Starks together and left Carter to his own devices.

 

The result was festival that was bright, loud and fast. “You’ll see soon enough, just stay close to me and keep your hat on, you don’t want to get drafted,” she cautioned. Soval’s dark eyes locked on hers and he asked with sincerity, “Humans draft others to participate in social events? Such actions only have merit in times of war.” Kate sighed with exasperation and rubbed her temples, apparently he had decided to be a typical Vulcan today and she said softly, “It’s an expression. Never mind, let’s get going.”

 

~~vOv~~

 

Light, slipping through the darkness, and rousing the senses,

A whisper,

A murmur,

Jumbled…

Distant…

And wrapped in fog.

 

A stiff mat and the scent of antiseptic worked their way into the distant corners of his mind. The jumbled thoughts, which had been ambiguous and confusing, took on a new shape. They straightened slightly forming linear lines rather than a jagged and curled line of random segments. The murmur grew louder and the water that seemed to surround his mind had somehow drained. “Sarek,” a stiff voice called, it wasn’t as stern as those that usually sounded him and was colored with an emotion – concern, or at least that was what he perceived it to be.

 

Dark eyes slowly opened, the glaring white surroundings of what he believed was the medical bay were blinding. Standing over him was a Denobulan he did not recognize, the mans vivid blue eyes were locked on him and he could see their concern. “You’re awake,” the doctor stated, there was a distant whine of a tricorder, a sound he was too familiar with. Sarek felt his heavy limbs and was quick to ascertain that he was relatively unscathed and had been safe after his body had forced him into a healing trance. “I am functioning at optimal capacity,” he replied flatly as he sat up. His body was tight, but that was from the long period of time it had been still and unused. The Denobulan stepped back, and he had a feeling this man was the doctor of the Enterprise, at least he believed he was on the _Enterprise_ , it’s captain had given commands with haste to have him transported from his own ship to theirs. “Welcome to the Enterprise, I am Doctor Phlox, Captain Archer and Commander T’Pol will be here shortly,” he stated as he clasped his hands before his person.

 

Sarek gave a stiff nod as he sat on the bio-bed, the room was cool, he observed and began to shiver slightly, his robes were thinner since it was customary for Vulcan ships to have atmospheres and temperatures similar to their home world. However, that wasn’t just for the Enterprise, it was an Earth vessel, which meant its climate controls were set up for humans. Phlox reached into a cupboard and pulled out a thick blanket, “Here, it is cold on this ship,” he stated as he held out the thick gray blanket to the Vulcan. Sarek looked at it before accepting it slowly, he didn’t have a choice, his body was sensitive after having pulled out of a healing trance.

 

The sound of the medical bay doors opening caught his attention and he looked over to the doorway to see a man with light brown hair enter, he had a large nose and looked like one of the many terran art pieces he had seen with chiseled features. Following him was the familiar figure of T’Pol, she was well known on Vulcan and nearly every citizen knew her by reputation as well as appearance. She was dressed in a thick uniform, and stood at attention just a step behind the Captain. “Captain Archer, Commander T’Pol,” he greeted as he held up the _Ta’al_. “Welcome aboard Sarek, I trust Phlox has treated you well,” Archer remarked, his tone was warm and inviting.

 

Sarek was still, the Captain was human which meant his emotions dominated him. It wasn’t a wonder as to why T’Pol was his first officer, having someone to anchor wayward emotions would be ideal in a number of instances, “Yes, he has been efficient and through,” he replied. Archer seemed to relax slightly, it was noticeable around his eyes, they seemed brighter after the statement. It was then he realized he no longer had it, the cargo, the reason he had attempted the journey in the first place. “Where is the key?” he asked rapidly. T’Pol arched a brow and Archer held up the black box, “You mean this?” he asked.

 

Dark eyes fell on the cube, the Captain had it. He paused, he had to determine how to respond to them without startling them, not even the VSA was aware he had it, or at least they weren’t currently. His dark fingers clutched the blanket tightly as he began to formulate a response to the onslaught of questions he knew he was going to receive. “What is it? You called it a key, but this isn’t a normal key,” he stated. Sarek held his hand out for the cube and drew a deep breath, he had received the communication from Soval himself, and even though the Ambassador wasn’t satisfied with Archer’s actions in a typical setting, he had been informed that the human before him was trust worthy.

 

Archer placed the box in his hand and Sarek’s fingers swept over it. “It’s a key,” he stated. He ran his fingers over the edges before pressing the top of the cube downward. Archer was about to speak when the black siding faded and was replaced with a vivid crystalline blue object, it was warm to the touch and the light swept over the surfaces of the room. “I do not know what it is to, I was only informed of how to activate it, and that it must be delivered to the Vulcan Envoy to Earth, Ambassador Soval, in five days time,” he stated. Archer was standing closer than before his hazel eyes fell on the cube before them and T’Pol asked, “Have you analyzed the software?” Sarek looked up at her and replied simply, “I have attempted to do so, however it is unlike our own, and I was unsuccessful in doing so.”

 

T’Pol’s eyes fell on the cube, he could tell she was now interested in the once simple object. It wasn’t a normal thing to create a device that managed to confound even a Vulcan, especially since they had been the ones leading the technical revolution for centuries in the Universe. He slowly ran his fingers over the bottom and the cub returned to it’s original bleak state, unassuming and simple. He held it out to Archer, “It is safer with you, Captain Archer,” he remarked.

 

The captain’s hand slowly accepted it as he looked at it in his hands and then to Phlox, “Phlox, is he healthy enough to leave your watch?” he asked after a moment. Sarek noticed how his tone had slipped back to the one he seemed to use for command. Phlox smiled, it was an attempt to disarm them, “Of course, he is free to go,” he replied warmly. The Captain looked to T’Pol, she was calm and he watched as she clasped her hands behind her. “T’Pol, make Sarek more comfortable, I am sure he would rather you guide him through the ship and aid him than myself,” he stated. Sarek was surprised, he hadn’t expected that, most captains assumed such tasks.

 

It was logical for him to ask T’Pol to do so, but it was rare for a human to display such logic, at least what he had heard of. “Yes, Captain,” she said simply, as though it was a normal request. The Ambassador had been aboard the ship many times, as had T’Var, however both had mentioned that the Captain sought to their needs. He then turned his attention to Sarek, “We are investigating what happened with your ship, I was going to speak to our Chief Engineer,” he said simply.

 

“Captain, I will join you for this meeting,” he stated flatly, “It is my responsibility to learn and report what has transpired. I will also provide you with my testimony.” Archer was taken aback by this, he could tell from the look of shock and confusion that had appeared on his face. “Surely you need rest,” he stated with a hint of concern. Sarek was confused for a moment, hospitality was one thing, but when faced with a mysterious accident and no doubt deaths, not to mention the way in which he had procured the ship was sensitive, it wasn’t logical. He paused, it wasn’t logical because he wasn’t like T’Pol, “You spoke with T’Pau,” he remarked.

 

Archer’s gaze shifted slightly and he watched the captain look slightly guilty, “Yes, it was out of courtesy, Vulcan has done the same for us in the past. We are allies after all,” he stated. Sarek was silent, T’Pau knew where he was, which meant that soon enough those who wished to foil him would as well, the Captain had just put them in harms way and didn’t realize it. Archer drew a deep breathe before said softly, “Alright, I’ll show you to engineering.” Sarek got off the bio-bed. He quickly folded the blanket before leaving and placed it on top of the bed. His strides were even and controlled as he allowed his hands to fall to his sides, if only his mind was the same. The doors opened and he heard the familiar steps of T’Pol behind him as they walked through the corridors of the ship. He could hear the buzz of the crew as he continued to follow the captain, the sound of thoughts wisped through the air, it was the opposite of the usual silence of a Vulcan ship.

 

They turned the corner and he noticed a pair of ensigns walk by, they bowed their heads with respect and Archer turned yet another corner, his expression was stern and he realized the man Soval had instructed him to trust took his post seriously.

 

“When did the communication take place?” he asked after a moment, he needed to create an approximate timeline. Archer looked affronted, “A day ago,” he stated. Sarek quickly calculated the approximate position of his pursuers, they were too close. They had to leave the region or not only his life would be in danger but the entire crew of the Enterprise, the flagship of Starfleet. He was about to speak when he noticed the doors of a division labeled Engineering opened, he could hear the hum of a warp core and noted the age of the design. While it was advanced in Terran terms it was a far cry from the ingenuities and swift engines used in the Vulcan Fleet.

 

Standing before a screen was a tall man with sandy blonde hair, fingers moved over the panels and he heard Archer clear his throat. The young man jumped only to turn and see the Captain, a pair of steel colored blue eyes fell on them and he smiled warmly, “Capt’n, Commander,” he greeted. The man’s accent was unusual, he had heard man recordings of human speech but found this man’s vocal pattern fascinating. “Trip, what can you tell us about the ship?” he asked. The young engineer hummed before looking at his PADD, “Well I can tell you now, that his ship has a warp core configuration I’ve never seen before, it can certainly do better than Warp 9, sir,” he remarked as he put the diagrams from his ship on the screen.

 

Sarek recognized the blue prints and watched Trip walk the others through it, “See, the arrangement of the crystals is different as is their composition, I’ve never seen anything like it,” he stated as he drew up their molecular structure. Archer crossed his arms and glared at the screen, “What’s the difference between ours and theirs?” he asked, ignoring Sarek entirely. It was then that the engineer shrugged, “I don’t know, the structure is so different I didn’t think they were even part of the dilithium family,” he stated.

 

The Captain looked to T’Pol who was examining the structure, “I am unfamiliar with it as well, both the ship and the structure of the crystals. Their molecular structure does not match what we have in the database and has not been seen prior to this.” Archer hummed thoughtfully as he stepped up to the screen and began examining other parts of the blue prints, it was the most advanced ship on Vulcan, the fastest designed to date and yet a pair of Terrans from Starfleet were looking over the design. “Contact the Vulcan Science Academy, we can’t investigate if we don’t know what we are looking at,” Archer stated harshly.

 

“That would be unadvisable,” stated Sarek sternly, his voice was even but did not regret that moment to speak. Instantly the eyes of Trip, T’Pol and Archer were on him, “Why not?” asked Trip in genuine confusion, his eyes were wide as he looked at Sarek as though he had lost his mind. Archer looked irritated and curious while T’Pol looked slightly confused, and Sarke knew then he wouldn’t have a choice but the tell them what he could so they would get to Earth faster.

 

“It was not acquired through traditional channels,” he replied carefully. Archer’s eyes narrowed and he shook his head as he realized just what he was being told. “What do you mean traditional channels?” he asked and held his hand out for pause as he stared at Sarek, humans were slow at times. “Hang on, are you saying you stole it?” he asked, his voice was elevated and filled with a great deal of confusion, irritation and what sounded like exasperation. Sarek was still for a moment, he stared at the three unblinking.

 

“Yes.”

~~vOv~~

 

Shouting, screaming, flashing lights from cameras, racers arguing, blinding colors, the smell of oil from fryers and other treats, and of course the number of emotions traveling through the air seemed to make even the Ambassador stand still in what could only be described as terror, or at least that was what Kate would have called it. It was no wonder why she had left these details out of the equation as the small town had erupted and something akin to pure chaos was occurring around him. Soval stared at the mess of bodies before him, it was endless and he stiffened, it would be impossible to get through the crowd without brushing against anyone. In all 30 years of being an Ambassador to the planet, never once had he seen something as vivid as this, he had been to festivals, galas, charity events and the like, but this was something new and his sensitive senses were immediately assaulted.

 

Kate stood beside him, her hands were on her hips as she said with a smug grin, “Welcome to the Yukon territories most interesting little town I know,” she said. Soval was confused as he looked to the sign and noticed it too was called Vulcan. His brow lifted and Kate chuckled, “Stark, Stark, Stark and Carter-Stark,” she said as though that were the best explanation she had to offer, “They couldn’t call it Eureka 2, since that was too predictable, so they called it Vulcan,” she explained, “These days it give people a laugh.” She hummed as he crystal clear blue eyes looked over the sight before her, her body showed no signs of tension, she seemed to be at ease, despite the circumstances.

 

She smiled as a pair of kids dashed past only to slide across the ice with glee, parents were shouting in a mixture of anger and terror, causing her to chuckle. “I remember doing that, it gave my dad a heart attack,” she said distantly before straightening, “Come on, let’s get the shopping done so we can get out of here.”

 

In a flash she was in the crowd and they began to venture into the busy square. Foods in all states of preparation were visible and children sat to have their faces painted, it was peculiar, he had seen Kabuki of Japan and understood the purpose for theater however a child having their face painted confused him. A small child jumped out before him and held his hands up like paws and roared, he had a hat surrounded by long fur and his face was painted gold with a black nose and whiskers. His brow lifted and he stared at the child before him, “I’m a lion,” said the boy with conviction. Soval stared at the child and replied simply, “You are not, you are a human boy. Anatomically there is no part of your person which resembled a feline.”

 

The boy’s brown eyes narrowed as he said petulantly, “I am a lion.” Soval internally sighed, as he looked at the confused child. “No you are,” he began only to see Kate jump in. “Soval! Careful, he’s a ferocious lion,” Kate said with mock horror. Soon after his brows lifted higher as he stared at her, she was a MACO, he didn’t doubt that she knew what a lion looked like and noticed how the child before him brightened and roared once more. “Travis Bartholomew Katz!” shouted a woman from several feet away. The child visibly flinched, and responded sheepishly, “Yes mom?” The woman’s eyes narrowed as she hissed, “Get back here.” The child scrambled away and Kate chuckled.

 

“In what way was he a lion? He doesn’t share the same ancestry,” he stated in bewilderment. Kate chuckled, “He was pretending with the face paint,” she remarked. He stared at her and then at the stand where a young girl was having her face painted, “Why?” he asked bluntly. Kate shrugged and responded, “Why not?” as she began to walk away. He quickly followed her and responded, “It isn’t logical.” Kate snorted as she weaved through the crowd with ease and began to head toward what looked like a food market. He looked up to see the sign Hathaway Grocers above his head as they entered the establishment. A gust of warm air hit him and he only then realized that he had been chilled.

 

The store was quieter and he watched as Kate picked up a basket and began to walk through produce, “Human’s aren’t logical, get used to it,” she stated, “You’ve been the Ambassador for now long?” Soval watched curiously as she looked over a stand of tomatoes and lifted one from the basket. Her fingers sweeping over it as she did so, it was only then he watched her squeeze it experimentally, “27.4 years,” he said shortly, he had learned that she didn’t require the same accuracy as most. Kate slipped the tomato into the basket and selected two others, “Right, you should know better,” she chided as she walked to another display and picked up a basket of spinach.

 

The Ambassador didn’t reply, only looked at the ingredients and noticed she was gathering cucumbers, mushrooms and red onions. She paused and looked at a large dark purple eggplant. “How do you feel about Chickpea Ratatoullie?” she asked after a moment, her curious blue eyes met his as she asked. “Ratatoullie?” he asked after a moment, he had never heard of a dish called such, a film but not a dish. He had never endeavored to see the film crafted by Pixar, despite the fact it was considered a classic, he did not see the logic in watching a children’s movie.

 

She paused as she went to pick up the eggplant and grinned, “It’s a take on a traditional French dish in Nice, it’s a vegetable stew, basically, but I do a little sautéing and so on, to seal in the flavor,” she stated as she reached for the large eggplant and put it in the cart. She was smiling as she looked at the tomatoes and quickly put back the ones she had selected and reached for a few different ones, they were smaller but plump and even brighter in color. “Vegetable stew, using eggplant?” he asked after a moment. Kate chuckled as she grabbed a small yellow onion, a zucchini, two bell peppers and a fresh head of garlic. “Yup, you’ve just decided on it,” she stated as she walked down the aisle and picked up a jug of blueberry juice as well as Pomegranate.

 

Soval stared in confusion, in no way had he selected the meal, “In what way have I agreed to this menu?” he asked as he watched her toss a few sprigs of fresh herbs and walked down another aisle. She looked over her shoulder and responded, “Simple, you didn’t know what it was, so now I’ll show you.” He clasped his hands before himself and replied, “I fail to see how I agreed to such actions.” Kate plucked a glass bottle of olive oil from the shelf, and shook her head. “Didn’t your father ever advise you not to argue with a woman or ask for her reasoning?” she jested.

 

There was a mocking smile on her lips as she carried the basket, only for him to stand before her and hold his hand out expectantly. “No, for my father was Vulcan and believed my conversations would be limited to those between Vulcans. He did however, tell me that it is a man’s responsibility to aid a woman,” he said coolly, “Now I would like you to, ‘hand the basket over’.” he commanded. Kate stared in shock at him, his lips quirked up as she held the basket at her side and she pointed at him in sheer confusion, “Y-You just used a human fraise and you didn’t melt!” Soval stared in even more confusion, “It is impossible for me to melt, I am not a liquid which has been previously solidified due to freezing,” he said.

 

Kate blinked before laughing hysterically, “Not what I meant,” she gasped out, “You have to see the wizard of Oz, that’s on the list,” she stated before attempting to get passed him. The Ambassador took a step so that once again he was in the way, “I must insist,” he said simply. Kate’s eyes narrowed and she replied shortly, “I have two hands, I can carry it.” Soval clasped his hands before him and said swiftly, “Yes, however if I were to be attacked by a ferocious feline you would be unable to protect me, due to your hands being occupied with the basket.”

 

Kate slipped the basket over her forearm and crossed her arms before shifting her weight and asked, “Really? I could just drop the basket.” Soval nodded as his eyes fell to it’s contents and he asked, “Would you risk bruising the tomatoes and breaking the bottle of olive oil and causing a mess?” He didn’t regret his words and watched as her expression twisted, “I wouldn’t drop it that hard! I can carry it,” she stated as she attempted to level him with a glare. She was quite convincing, however, her skill wasn’t up to his. The diplomat smirked as he replied with grace, “You can not guarantee such a thing would happen, besides as the Ambassador it is my prerogative to observe other cultures,” he stated as he made sure to engage her by not breaking eye contact. “Is it not chivalrous to carry the basket of a woman? Was I misinformed?” he asked.

 

He had expected a snide remark only to watch her shoulders fall and she looked away, her gaze falling to the floor as she did so and the basket hung from her fingers loosely. The intriguing battle ended as she held the basket out to him, he had won but not through banter, she had surrendered. “No, you weren’t,” she replied as she turned her attention to him, an awkward moment of silence passed as he slowly took the basket, it’s weight was of no consequence due to his superior strength. Yet, it ached to do so. He watched as she steeled herself, “It’s simply rare,” she replied morosely.

 

Soval watched as she walked by, she was careful not to brush him as she did so and said, “Come on, I need to get the chickpeas and some bread. You might want to grab a box of tea.” He fell into pace with her and noticed her mood had shifted, the reason behind it made him even more curious about the young woman before him. Usually she would argue to the death with him, he would never forget her statements about his lack of involvement with humans. He had seen it as a logical security measure, she had asked why it didn’t apply to Vulcans. In truth, it was because all Vulcans who were to see him or worked with him, had been rigorously screened by Skon, T’Pau’s bond mate, which meant they were of no threat to him.

 

She picked up a round of pumpernickel and rye marbled bread and placed it in the basket before walking toward the register, he had picked up several boxes of tea as well as fruits, a few other vegetables, some crackers and the like. He watched as the order was rung up and Kate reached for her credit chip, only for Soval to hold out a silver chip with a black stone and his name in Vulcan on it. She stared in confusion as the clerk accepted it. “I was going to,” she said softly and Soval shook his head, “I’m you’re employer and this is for work, therefore it is only logical I cove the expense.”

 

Kate was about to argue when the cashier smiled and remarked, “How rare, a gentleman, honey you should hang onto him.” That got their attention the pair looked at the middle aged woman who was bagging their goods, “There are few and far between, besides he wouldn’t have carried your basket or paid the bill if he didn’t love you.” Kate’s jaw fell open and she held her hands up, “What? NO! He’s my boss,” she stammered, “we’re just picking up food!” He listened to her ramble and realized noticed how when ever she was flustered her words ran into each other.

 

Soval took pity on her and added, “Yes, she was simply assisting me since I am unfamiliar with the area.” Kate looked relieved, “I am not proficient enough in the geography of the area to travel alone,” he stated to only strengthen his claim. The woman at the register looked  convinced momentarily before she shook her head, “Well don’t you have a logical one, still he didn’t have to, and it’s nice you did,” she then held her hand to block her lips and whispered to Kate, “Honey, you better hold onto him, he’s a catch,” and winked.

 

He stared at Kate whose complexion rivaled the tomatoes which were now in a paper bag for vivid color. He took that moment to reach around her and pick up the bag, “Yup, he’s a keeper,” she repeated as Kate began to walk away with more haste than necessary, he could see her blush working it’s way to her ears. He carried the paper bag with ease and remained silent, “Unbelievable, she thought we were together,” she griped and he watched with interest.

 

He found her entertaining as he watched her arms flail slightly, “Honestly! You even said you were my employer,” she seethed.

 

Soval watched as she whipped around and stared at him, “Why would she think that we are together? It’s not like I was flirting with you,” she said with irritation. Soval nodded and replied after a moment, “Perhaps it was because we had argued and she interpreted it as such,” he stated. Kate scoffed and crossed her arms, “Really? I mean us, together, as a couple,” she stated. The Ambassador watched as several people stared at her in passing, “So what? I mean it’s not like I’m not a younger friend. I could be,” she raved, she was clueless about the stares. Just as she turned a corner he noticed a patch of ice and his eyes widened, “Major,” he said with a hint of urgency.

 

Kate growled as she looked at him and continued on the path straight for a patch of ice. “Seriously, can’t a girl have guy friends!” she snapped. Soval felt panic as he said sternly, “Katharine!” She turned to glare at him and continued to glare and said with venom, “I mean really it’s not like I kissed you,” she blushed brightly. She took another step and he watched as she lost her footing, she shouted in shock.

 

Without thinking he dropped the bag, it hit the pavement causing several people to stare as he abandoned it in favor of catching her. His heart was pounding in his side as he skidded to a stop before her and wrapped his arms around her body. His eyes closed as he anticipated the impact, he had tucked her into himself and was prepared for his back to hit the ice. He felt her smaller form pressed against him, her cool hands gripping his sides in shock as they fell. The pavement and ice was unforgiving as he hit it, as was his chest as he felt her fall into him. The air was expelled from his lungs violently and he felt his head hit the ice.

 

There was silence as he felt her grip his coat, the Ambassador opened his eyes and looked down at the mop of long blonde hair. “Kate?” he asked slowly as he rubbed a circle into her back. Kate lifted her head, her cheeks were tinted a bright pink, her sky blue eyes met his dark orbs and he noticed a flicker of embarrassment as well as nervousness. “Sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m supposed to be a MACO and yet you had to catch me,” she babbled as she sat up. He was laying still as she took her gloves off and quickly slipped her fingers behind his head, he was about to protest when she glared at him. “Hang on I want to make sure you don’t have a concussion, damn it. I mean honestly who the fuck gets hurt over protecting their body guard,” she chastised.

 

He was silent, he wasn’t even sure why he had responded the way he had, all he knew was that he didn’t want her injured, that seeing her harmed would bring his displeasure. Her fingers swept through his hair and he felt them prod his skull gently, each touch was accompanies by worry, embarrassment, nervousness, and something else. Soval felt it stroke something long forgotten inside him and he froze, affection. Before he could think anymore on the topic Kate got up and said, “Come on, I need to pick up one last thing.”

 

Soval got up and watched as she gathered the bag, “I’ll carry it, I’m sorry I got so carried away, I put us both in danger,” she said softly. She pushed the door of a shop open and he was greeted by the sight of a number of families buying camping supplies. She walked through the store with ease until she found what she was looking for. He was even more confused as she walked over to the shelf of brightly colored packages, “Flares?” he asked. Kate nodded as she picked up a package, “Yup, I’m out of the ones for my gun, so I need a refill. Since the race is today the chance of someone seeing a distress flare is high, in fact people will be looking fro them,” she stated.

 

He understood what flares were used for, however, this mission was about secrecy and stealth, the reason they would need a flare completely eluded him. “Just in case, look we are hiking at night in the snow and ice to get to a lake, I’d rather be safe than sorry,” she explained as she walked up to the register and paid for the carriages. He continued to walk out of the shop and followed her back to the sleek silver flitter. He could still feel her thoughts and the hum of her mind, it was bright, colorful and different from his late wife’s, it was alien and yet familiar.   

 

~~vOv~~

 

Archer paled as he stared at the Vulcan before, T’Pol had told him that Vulcan’s didn’t steal and yet the one before him, who was a decedent of Surak himself had just openly admitted to committing the act as though it were as simple as telling him the time. T’Pau clearly hadn’t known, other wise she would have chewed him out then and there, in her unique Vulcan way. At least he thought she would, that was his impression of her after their engagement in the Forge and later on in the Capital. “You stole it?” he asked in an attempt to understand what he had just learned. Sarek nodded and replied, “Affirmative.” That wasn’t what he needed to hear, not only did he have the Matriarch of Vulcan’s son onboard, but her son had just stolen a ship and to cap it off, he was to be Ambassador Soval’s successor, only adding to the tension.

 

There was nothing in his training that told him how to handle something like this, in fact he was certain that even T’Pol had no idea as to how to proceed. “Why?” asked Trip, “You could have just gotten one the normal way, why that one?” Archer watched Sarek closely, the Vulcan was unexpressive and didn’t even flinch at the harsh tone the engineer had just used. The young man before them drew a breath before responding, “If I had not I would not have made it, even with the loss of the ship there is a high probability that I will not reach Earth in time,” he stated. Earth, Sarek was heading to Earth, but the reason for the fastest ship in the universe confused him, he understood that not even Vulcan’s liked waiting but to steal something to reach his goal wasn’t very logical.

 

Archer crossed his arms and looked thoughtfully at Sarek, there was something that the Vulcan wasn’t saying. “Sarek, who told you to bring the device?” he asked after a moment. The individual who had contact him, must have been powerful and important in order for the Vulcan to respond in such a manor, he wouldn’t have executed such actions if it wasn’t crucial to his success. “Commander Nathanial Stark designer of this vessel, on behalf of Ambassador Soval,” he stated. Stark, Archer’s gaze softened at the name and he asked gently, “How was he? We haven’t spoken since we left the dock. He was designing the Kallithea, and he had just finished Constellation.”

 

He had known Stark personally since the man had worked with his father on the project, like many members of the Stark family. Warp theory was after all, created by a Stark. “I am uncertain, I had attempted to contact him yesterday but was met with static,” he stated. Archer froze, Stark was always a call away, for him to be unreachable meant that something was very wrong. “What?” he asked. Sarek drew a deep breath as he clasped his hands before him and Archer noticed that he looked a little cold. He ignored it, he had to know what was wrong with Stark. Commander Stark was the top ship designer in Starfleet, even Trip admired his skill. He was also one of the only people in the Universe who knew the intimacies of Starfleet technology.

 

“We must set a course for Earth, something is very wrong,” said Archer definitively. T’Pol nodded and he watched as she quickly left the room, he knew she was heading to the bridge to take command, and leave him to deal with the Admiralty.

 

~~vOv~~

 

The sun had set long bellow the horizon and a pair of blue eyes stared into the darkness, it was time. The darkness of the night had flooded the realms around the bright cabin, forcing the warmth of the sun into the shadows, extinguishing its gaze that brought life to the Earth, allowing it to slumber in peace. The blanket of snow which covered the Yukon Territory was her protective barrier, to allow the warmth of the earth’s core to stay and from this frozen earth under foot, from bellow life would start anew, with the return of the sun in the spring. Yet, that time had yet to come, currently it was time to step into the clad landscape and venture into the darkness to reach where they had been told the future lie, at the edge of a frozen lake near a cliff.

 

Slender fingers wrapped around the black straps of the large heavy bag and with ease hoisted it over her shoulders. She had her fingers in thick gloves and a hat on her head, protecting her ears from the cold. A pair of goggles rested on top of hear head and the thick white coat Amanda had picked up for her was wrapped around her person. The layers were thick and constrictive, she had done this a number of times when she was with her father and Stark, and was oddly thankful it was only the lake and not the glacier that they were going to meet at.

 

There was a tap to her left and she looked over to see Soval standing beside her, he was dressed in double the layers she was, which was an indication of how cold he was and the risk he was assuming. She paused as she looked at the Ambassador’s face, it wasn’t blank, she could see the same unyielding determination in his eyes, that she had seen when he had made that speech. Regardless of her opinion and his own safety, he was going to follow her out into the arctic to retrieve the device. A desert dweller, who rarely showed compassion toward humanity, was risking his life for theirs.

 

They stood side by side at the back door, it would lead them out into the wilderness and onto a familiar path toward the lake. There was roughly a ten inches of snow on the path, Stark had attempted to keep it clear with a heated channel, however it wasn’t perfect, they still had to walk through about a third of the amount of some on either side of the path. However it was certainly better than nothing. She placed her hand on the door and drew a deep breath, “Ready?” she asked. This was dangerous, there were wolves, snow drifts, unstable areas, ice slicks and naturally the cold could kill them.

 

Soval looked at her and responded, “Yes.” Kate opened the door and was greeted by a blast of fridge air, it seeped into her core and licked at her skin, immediately rousing her from her comfort and setting her mind on edge. “Okay,” she said shortly as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a disk. Soval’s dark eyes fell on her as she snapped the disk, immediately a bright white light surrounded them and she tossed it up before them, the disk hovered with ease and she looked to the tree line. After a moment she noticed the marker, the first of several that would lead them from the cabin to the lake. “Follow me,” she commanded as she walked across what she knew to be an expansive lawn in the spring and into the woods that had cut the cabin off from the world.

 

The snow crunched loudly under foot as she walked into the trees, her eyes fell on the coniferous trees that towered over them with ease, dominating the landscape. She knew they had been there long before Stark had even thought of a cabin in the Yukon. Each of them rising from the earth, standing proud in their own right, the passage of time marked in the many rings of their trunks and their girth. The white light bathed the surfaces it touched as they took a turn, her eyes narrowed as she listened for the sounds around herself, she wasn’t about to get them killed over this errand.

 

The wind swept through the area, kicking up the snow slightly causing it to sweep across their path and her eyes narrowed through the purple goggles. Just up ahead there was another marker, they had a long journey to make, “What if this contact of Stark’s doesn’t show up?” she asked curiously. She hadn’t given it a great deal of thought, she trusted the Ambassador, and his information. Yet, now she wondered if this was the right move, they were in the middle of the arctic chasing what could be a herring into the snow, which could kill them.

 

Soval was just a step behind her and replied, “He will, Stark trusts him, and if he does then so do I.” Kate looked over her shoulder to stare at the Ambassador who had just admitted to trusting Stark, of all people. It was then she wondered if he trusted her, of course he had relied on her expertise thus far, after all he had been more than cordial when it came to the cabin and shopping. The question was if he trusted her as explicitly as she trusted him. Oddly, she had come to trust the Ambassador, she always knew where he stood, and learned that there was more to him than logic. He was a man who had lost a great deal, and yet gave everything he had to the people of Vulcan as well as Earth. She had seen his struggle to determine the best course of action when faced with a dilemma, and yet, no matter the cost he managed to find a third option, that supposedly hadn’t existed.

 

She turned the corner and looked up at a large bolder which had been present since the time the glaciers had receded. “Why are you doing this?” asked Kate after a moment as she turned to him, she stopped in her tracks, causing the disk that was floating ahead of them to pause and drift over so that it shined above their heads, allowing her to see what little she was able to of the Ambassador’s expression, his mouth and nose were covered as well as a majority of his head thanks to the thick hood. “Why are you risking your life for a reader, for information about something that you hadn’t been aware of?” she asked. She had to know the answer, he wasn’t known for leaping on impulse.

 

Soval was quiet for a moment before responding resolutely, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” A smile curled Kate’s lips, she had a feeling he would say that, and she held her hand out for the disk. He watched in confusion as it fell to her palm and turned off. “Major, what are you doing?” he asked. Kate smiled as she held a finger to her lips. This was the most magical part; she needed the darkness as she looked at her watch. It was nearly time, she had to wait for this precise moment. “Major?” asked the Ambassador.

 

The world seemed to stop for a moment as she smiled at him and held a finger to her lips. The Vulcan was tense and she noticed his eyes were filled with confusion. Kate smiled with mirth as she pointed upward, “Look up,” was all she could say. She watched as the Ambassador did so, tilting his head up slightly, his neck was craned and she heard him inhale sharply. In the sky above was filled with the presence of the moon, a brilliant silver disk against the sky, shining vibrantly her silver light sweeping over the earth’s surface. Just as it swept over the bolder Kate smiled, and said, “I was hoping it was still there.”

 

The Ambassador quickly turned his attention to the gray bolder that was capped with snow. He stared in awe as several lines of text appeared, they were golden and shimmered in the light, “By the light of the moon, follow her path to the North. Look to the sky for Polaris, let her guide you,” she said aloud as she read the script. She turned to the night and looked up in the sky, her finger pointed to the star looming above them, “Polaris,” she said with child like joy. Her blue eyes flickered over to the Vulcan’s chocolate brown eyes and she smiled as the snow made his dark skin stand out even more. “Come on, just a little further,” she instructed.

 

Kate quickly began to climb up the rocks, her hands finding convenient holdings and once she was at the top she held her hand out to aid the Ambassador, only to find him beside her. She smiled and felt the cold sweep across her skin, it was getting colder and they were closer now than they had been before. She walked through the forest, the darkness was now brighter than it had been before, and the night didn’t seem nearly as terrifying as the snow reflected the moon light off its surface, causing it to surround them.

 

Her eyes lit up, she knew this place and just beyond those trees, just beyond the line of trees several meters ahead of them she would see the most beautiful sight on earth. “Are you certain this is the way?” asked Soval after a pause and Kate chuckled. She could hear how tight his voice was and knew he was cold. She waved her hand to signal for him to continue, she could tell he was going to protest as she slipped out of the tree line, “Major I fail to see how the sky is painted,” he called.

 

Kate chuckled as she looked to him and said, “Really? Just look.” Soval was about to speak as they entered the clearing only the words never seemed to fall from his silver tongue. It was amusing to see a man who had a theory about everything to fall short.

Just a few feet away, was a frozen lake, its waters stilled by the winds and snow. The mountains were in the background rising from the earth with pride and marking where the sky and earth just brushed against once another. A glacier rested between them, glowing in white and silver in the night, dark green trees encompassed them, she could smell their deep scent along with the crisp frost of the night. Yet it was none of these elements which had enthralled her and she knew had stolen the Ambassador’s words.

 

Hanging in the sky was a translucent ribbon of light and color. It seemed to dance in the dark blue sky of the night, passing the moon seductively, like a translucent silk falling from a bolt. The crimson red hue brightened the sky above them, it was accented with a bold neon green and streaks of an orange gold color. The lights seemed to dance on their own volition, causing this bleak world of icy blues, whites and silvers to dream. Suddenly this sleeping place was caught in a dream of color and wonder, one which had enthralled every gazer since man had craned his neck to look up at the sky.

 

“The Aurora Borealis,” she said smoothly, “It’s really a bunch of electrons that are trapped at the poles due to the magnetic properties of them, they were thrown from a solar flare released by the sun. But, that doesn’t make this any less magical.” The Vulcan Ambassador lowered his hood and she watched in fascination as he looked at the valley. He had a thick cap on his head covering his delicate ears but she could see the look of awe in his eyes as his lips parted to speak, yet no words came. The valley that was steeped in a deep slumber had stolen his words, in order to allow the place to continue dreaming.

 

With ease she shrugged her pack off and quickly opened it. Soval was silent, which was odd, she had expected to hear him protest about the sky being absent of color only to look up and find him watching her with interest. The case was easy to open and after a moment she had the all too familiar bronze spyglass in her hands. She opened it and quickly looked through it, her gaze shifted to the other side of the lake only to catch something crossing it at a quick pace. It shined through the blue amber and she lowered it to look in that spot, there wasn’t anyone visible, yet through the spyglass she had seen it. She held it out to Soval and pointed to the spot on the horizon.

 

The Ambassador was quick to follow the silent direction, “Fascinating,” he breathed, it was the first word she had heard him speak since they had entered the valley. He had kept his hood down and she noticed a flush of green sweeping across his skin in an attempt to keep blood circulating to it. “It’s moving at a high velocity toward us, and apparently is covered in particles which only this spyglass can detect,” he surmised as he handed the spyglass back to her.

 

Kate collapsed it only to see something flicker and it was then she realized who ever it was, was mounted on a hover bike designed for the snow. The sound echoed through the valley, it bounded off the glaciers and ice and echoed in her ears. The lights on the front of the hover bike glowed brightly and she noticed a familiar figure come to view. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped, “No,” she growled, “Stark sent him?” Soval arched a brow as he too recognized the individual now speeding across the ice.

 

The black hover bike came slid to a stop just at the shore line and she listened the crunch of the snow under a pair of thick combat boots. Wrapped in brown and black leather was a tall figure with rather broad shoulders and thick limbs. A hood was up and she watched as the figure lowered it with grace, there was a bag over his shoulder and she heard an all too familiar greeting.   


“Soval, can’t say it’s a surprise to see you again. It is nice however to see the lovely pink skin who had defended you,” it sneered.

 

Kate stared at the familiar blue skinned individual before them and Soval replied, “Commander Shran.” The Andorian looked at Kate with interest as he smiled a little, his white hair was brighter in the moonlight, causing his blue skin to acquire an unusual glow. “Major Forrest,” he said stiffly as he nodded to her and looked at the pair, “Okay let’s get to this, we don’t have  a lot of time and I don’t feel like dying today,” he said briskly. Kate was confused as she watched the Ambassador give a stiff nod and the Andorian reached into his bag, “I have no clue what this thing is, all I know is that I owed Stark and he informed me this was the best way for me to repay him,” he explained as he held out a clear pyramid shaped device, it looked more like a piece of crystal than it did anything else.

 

The Ambassador held his hand out for it and accepted the reader without hesitation, “This will allow us to learn what’s going on,” replied Soval. This caused the Andorian to pause as he closed his bag and immediately looked at the Vulcan with renewed interest, apparently he had thought this was a chore. “About what?” he asked after a pause. Soval looked at the pyramid in his hands, his gloved fingers running over it, “The bombings, the identical sensor readings and destruction of vessels that weren’t fired upon by the Vulcan fleet,” he replied simply, as though he were stating that the terran sun rose in the west and set in the east.

 

Shran’s eyes widened as he held his hands up, “Hold on, you’re telling me that, that,” he said as he pointed to the device in the Ambassador’s palm, “Will tell you what is causing the chaos?” he asked in a rush, his eyes became wild and his posture was far more animated than it had been previously. The teasing tone had vanished entirely and was replaced by something far more sincere, it was alien to hear it from Shran, someone she had come to learn as boisterous and childish. Without blinking Soval replied bluntly, “Yes.”

 

The commander crossed his arms as he looked to the ice and then to Kate, before returning his gaze to the device. “I know you aren’t lying, and I know you have a great deal of integrity, as well as honor as a Vulcan,” said Shran honestly, and Kate stared this was the first time any Andorian had paid Soval a compliment, “If that will tell you this, then I have a request, inform me of it’s contents that pertain to us. You’re people weren’t the only one who have been harmed by this, those bombs,” he paused. Kate watched his face twist with something akin to pain, there was silence before his eyes shot open and he glared at Soval, there was fire in his eyes as he pointed at the Ambassador, “I don’t care what you have to do, get that information to me and I’ll deliver it to our Ambassador, as well as the rest. This is no longer something you have to carry on your own,” declared the Andorian.

 

Kate’s jaw fell open as she stared at Shran, she thought hell would freeze over before an Andorian decided to aid a Vulcan. The corner’s of Soval’s lips quirked up in a smile and she stared at the pair, they had drawn a truce, an Andorian and a Vulcan had decided to forge a truce to stop fighting for one common interest, protecting their people. “You’re speech caused waves in the Collation as well across the Universe, you do know your own people are questioning your ability to serve with the emotion you displayed at your last press conference,” he stated. Soval held the device to Kate, who quickly tucked it into her pack and Soval replied, “ _Kaiidth_ , our primary concern is for the safety of the Collation, our people, as well as the people of Earth, neither of us desires to see them rip themselves apart.”

 

Shran nodded as he looked over to Kate, “Major, you do realize there is a chance that you are betraying Starfleet, do you not? They are the only ones with the power to keep you in the dark,” he stated darkly. Kate was quiet, she had a feeling it was Starfleet, or at least someone who was part of the fleet contributing, the Trojan and worm were too convenient. Her eyes narrowed as she replied honestly, “I am not, Starfleet was created to keep peace and balance, not to wage war and destroy cultures.” The Andorian smiled widely, his blue teeth glistened in the light as his eyes danced, “Well now, looks like you’ve finally met someone as stubborn as you, Soval.”

 

The Ambassador did not respond he simply looked at the horizon across the lake, it was then Kate noticed the lights slipping through it, “You’re out of time Shran,” he stated. The Commander whipped around and looked at the horizon, there was a stream of lights from other hover bikes, “I was here observing the wild life, Soval you know how to reach me,” he stated as he mounted the hover bike, “Remember you owe me Soval,” called the Andorian as he started the craft and took off across the lake. She watched as he sped away and decided it was more than time to return to the cabin, “Let’s get out of here,” she stated as she began to walk back to the tree line.

 

~~vOv~~

 

News it travels quickly, through channels, in our conversations daily and the images we send to one another. With each word spoken information is exchanged leading to a better understanding of the situation. Yet with the recent news which had been released by the Vulcan Embassy there seemed to be even greater confusion, no only had suspicion swarmed the embassy like flies to a caucus, due to the fact that it had not been attacked in the bombings, but the fact that the Vulcan Ambassador had decided to take an impromptu trip to the Arctic, which went against logic – that alone had caused a number of people on the planet to become even more confused. The press was constantly attempting to ascertain the reason as to why the Ambassador had left with such haste after his speech, which had a number of world leaders and members of Starfleet questioning what their mission was.

 

The sound of communications lines chirping was incessant and drowned out all hopes of hearing the sound of birds. There was a constant murmur though the typically still consulate as each member of the staff attempted to repair delectate systems that had been damaged during the cyber attack, release statements, fend off the press and deal with the increasing demands of the High Council after having received the speech. Needless to say that the High Council was irrigated by Soval’s quick response in a speech that conveyed far more emotion than was appropriate, he had openly called for leaders and the people of Earth to determine what they desired.

 

Frenzy was the norm, it had kept the consulate awake for the past thirty-six hours, and Amanda was attempting to keep up with the madness that was swarming her. Starfleet was adamant about learning Kate’s position as well as the reason they had went to the North, truly. She sighed as she set her head on the desk which Suran had loaned her, it was directly across from his and she groaned, she hadn’t slept since the pair had left and the most she had received was a brief communication that they had arrived safely and were going to retrieve the reader. It did little to put her mind at ease since the media circus had yet to die down. She was becoming more concerned that the assailants would track them up there, thanks to media sleuths and morons.

 

There was a tap which had summoned her from her moment of laziness. She lifted her head so her chin was resting on the backs of her hands to finds herself face to face with a mug of steaming hot coffee, the scent soothed her exhausted mind. She looked up to see T’Vok looking down at her, she was holding a mug of tea for herself, she offered no explanation as she placed a data PADD to the ever growing mountain of them that had been amassing atop of it. “Thanks, T’Vok,” Amanda said drearily as she greedily wrapped her hands around the mug and allowed its familiar warmth to slip into her over worked fingers. T’Vok nodded and asked, “Have you eaten?”

 

The question was basic and yet stated a great deal about the Vulcan before her, she at least cared about whether or not she had consumed nourishment. She sighed as she ran her fingers through her long brown hair, “No, I’m lucky I got to shower and change clothes,” she said teasingly. The sad part was that it was the truth, the only reason she was able to was because she knew Vulcan’s wouldn’t appreciate her scent. T’Vok’s expression was guarded but she noticed something flicker in her steel colored eyes. “I was going for my midday meal, it would be advisable for you to follow so that you are able to locate the cafeteria later,” she said simply.

 

Amanda blinked, it was the Vulcan’s way of showing concern, or at least she thought it was. “It’s okay, I’ll find it eventually, I have this mountain to get through,” she stated as she pointed to the massive pile that looked as though it would spill onto the floor at any moment. T’Vok’s gaze fell on it, and Amanda looked up at the Vulcans brown hair, it was a different shade compared to the ink black she had grown accustomed to. “Suran had requested that I show you its location and see that you are taking care of yourself,” she stated. The MACO paused and stared at T’Vok, Suran had sent her, Soval’s aid.

 

Suran had proved to be quite an asset as he took on Soval’s role and played what she liked to call interference, organizing events to distract; the issue was they simply weren’t enough to keep them occupied. “Well then, I guess I don’t have a choice then,” she stated as she got up and decided to follow the Vulcan, know it would be impossible to convince her other wise. T’Vok pivoted smoothly, her robes swaying as she did so. That was the thing she had learned to appreciate about T’Vok, she always wore beautiful robes. The colors were flattering but subtle. Amanda stared at the hem and she wondered what the fabric felt like, from the way it flowed it seemed as light as air.

 

T’Vok turned the corner and commented, “You are staring.” Amanda jumped, bit her tongue causing, copper and iron slipped in her mouth the metallic taste was familiar and something she had learned to deal with over the many years of being a MACO, she always ended up biting her tongue at some point. “Sorry, it’s just, your robes,” she said and paused as she searched for the word, “They’re beautiful to be honest. You always wear really nice ones, they’re nothing like most of the staff’s robes.” It was the truth T’Vok always wore beautiful garments, and she noticed how the liaison to Starfleet from the VSA arched a brow. Amanda knew it was stupid to say, even if it was true. “You admire our textiles,” she stated, ounce again she made it sound as though Amanda was being childish.

 

Mentally the MACO slapped herself, Kate had warned her that Vulcans were literal. “My family consists of weavers and textile makers,” said T’Vok, “I am the only one who was accepted to the Vulcan Science Academy, and the first to leave Vulcan.” Amanda stared, the robes weren’t purchased, her family made them. She slipped her hands into her pockets and asked, “Do you know how they are made?” T’Vok nodded stiffly, she was quiet as they turned the corner. Apparently that was as much as she would be permitted to learn about the Vulcan.

 

Suran walked around the corner and she was about to greet him when she noticed a reporter trailing him. She glared at the rather tall and gangly man, with brown hair and dark brown eyes, he had some stubble on his face and wore a pair of silver glasses. There was a PADD clutched between his fingers and the pair were speaking. T’Vok was about to turn down another hallway when Suran called, “Major Cole, T’Vok,” his voice was soft and yet she seemed to hear it even from there.

 

Without a second thought she approached the two and noticed the reporter immediately looked weary. “Sir?” she asked respectfully, she was dressed in uniform and stood at attention. She didn’t’ want the outside world to see her as incompetent and as far as she was concerned the man shadowing the Ambassador’s Senior Aid was an outsider. He looked to her and said quickly, “This is Mr. Grayson, a long time friend of Osu. He has some information which we will be interested in.” Amanda was confused a she watched a PADD enter her peripheral vision, suddenly the reporter’s PADD was in her hands and she looked at the image.

 

Her eyes widened a fraction as she asked, “That’s Admiral Gardner, but who is that?” as she pointed to the other figure. She quickly swept her fingers over the screen to enlarge the image. The figure had silver hair, which was shades darker than the Ambassador’s, it was closer to steel, with piercing gray eyes and a square face. He was dressed in dark robes and stood across from the Admiral. “V’Las,” replied Suran. Amanda paused, she had heard that name, it was mentioned in a report tied to Archer, “Wait, the former Administrator of Vulcan?” she asked.

 

Suran nodded and she noticed the reporter look uneasy, “Mr. Grayson will not go public with this, his editors are unaware of this information and he has informed us that he will continue to follow the Admiral,” stated Suran. Amanda handed the PADD to the reporter, her eyes narrowed as she attempted to understand what was occurring. “Why did you come to us, what do you have to gain?” she asked sharply which resulted in both Vulcan’s staring at her. Greyson looked offended as he crossed his arms and asked, “Why do you think I have a motive?”

 

Amanda grit her teeth before stating harshly, “Everyone has an angle, I want to know if yours will put them in danger,” she stated. Endangering the Vulcan consulate as well as the Ambassador and Kate wasn’t on her list of things to do. She didn’t like the notion of someone simply walking up to Suran with intelligence, it was too convenient. “I just want to see this situation go away, and preferably with Earth still in one piece. I didn’t know who he was however, the way the Admiral had met with him, made me question what was going on,” he explained.

 

She heaved a sigh, it was an acceptable answer, “Alright, listen from now on you and T’Vok will be working on a piece about,” she paused and looked to T’Vok for some assistance, she had never asked the Vulcna about her work and began to regret it. “We are working on a new series of drivers to improve space travel and the VSA is willing to assist in redesigning these,” she offered. Amanda looked to Suran who nodded and stated, “That will do.”

With in moments she had managed to get the Vulcans to agree and she realized that if Gardner was involved then Kate was in a lot more danger. “How bad is it that V’Las is involved?” she asked after a moment. She was met with the harsh stare from both Vulcans, and Suran answered bluntly, “Very.”

 

Amanda groaned and hissed, “Shit, just when I didn’t think this could get any worse, do you guys have files on him or something so I can read up on this guy?” she asked. Suran nodded and T’Vok pulled her PADD out of her robes, “I shall forward them to you, they are for your eyes only,” she cautioned. Well it wouldn’t be the first time and Amanda wondered absently just what V’Las had done to cause such tension in the two most serene Vulcan’s in the consulate. It appeared she wouldn’t get lunch, she had to read up on someone who was possibly responsible for the chaos which was wreaking havoc on the Universe.

 

~~vOv~~

 

 

Soval had given her the Master bedroom, despite her protests. Kate stretched her arms over her head and her joints popped. She slowly grabbed the hem of her sweater and slipped it over her head, the soft fabric slipped off of her with ease as she allowed it to fall gracelessly to the floor in a heap. She hummed as she ran her fingers through her long blonde hair and grabbed the hem of her black tank top, her body flexing as she did so, before finally pulling it over her head. She sighed as she allowed it to fall to the floor on her way around the room.

 

Stark hadn’t been there in years, it was clear, and obviously had a maid come in and attend to the house, it was far too clean and smelt of cleaners. She hummed as she slipped the tight white pants off and stepped out of them, her socks getting stuck in them as she did so, the air in the room was warm and chased the cold away. The goose bumps began to leave her skin and she felt as though life had returned to her body. Blue eyes slipped up to her reflection in the mirror, she had decided to wear black lace panties and bra, it wasn’t like anyone was going to see it but she felt the need to feel sexy. It was juvenile and she knew it, but Amanda’s advice was that a woman needed to feel strong, and sexy, to hell with the rest as long as she felt powerful it made her unstoppable.

 

The lights of the aurora were visible from her window and she paused, her mind wandered back to Soval. Never before had she seen such wonder in his eyes. It was strange, she hadn’t anticipated that reaction, she had thought he would attempt to analyze it and come up with a scientific explanation, yet he didn’t. His dark eyes simply looked at the wisps of color in the sky, making her wonder how different Vulcan’s and humans really where. She had seen Vulcan art, the exercise of controlled emotion as Suran had called it, and wondered if Soval had partaken in some form of it. Perhaps there was more to this man than logic, no she knew there was more, she could remember how her skin tingled after touching his hand.

 

The image of him gazing out at the valley in awe was burned in her mind. She could still see his dark skin tinted a light orange due to the dancing lights, his lips parted as words died on his lips to express his thoughts, and the was his eyes seemed to give away all his emotions. She had watched him crane his neck to look at the sky and wondered what would have happened if it wasn’t so cold and they weren’t there on a mission. Her mind wandered back to the kiss, she blushed brightly as she remembered the feeling. Never before had she felt so alive, so desired and even wanted. The tingling that his skin made her desire to touch him once more, to feel the heat that his skin radiated and revel in his tightly checked emotions.

 

The blonde sighed and shook her head, that would never occur, that rare glimpse she had at the lake, the kiss in the kitchen, her falling on top of him in the square and how firm his body was, that would all vanish. She could still remember the feeling of his strong arms around her, his gentle hands on her skin, they were broad, warm and oddly tender for someone who was known for being abrasive. He didn’t meet her expectations, he had redefined them. She began to wonder if the man she had gone on a hike with, the one she had witness looking at the sky with eyes filled with wonder wasn’t the Ambassador of Vulcan, but Soval, a man who oddly put up with her antics all day and didn’t berate her.

 

Soval, he was a man, he might be an alien but he was a man. His embrace was warm, and she could remember how even while dealing with the child he seemed to lighten, even if he was attempting to disillusion the child. She chuckled as she remembered the cluelessness of the Ambassador. He had been kind to her, even when she was rude, and had shown her a tenderness she hadn’t received in a long time.

 

“NO!” she snapped as she tugged at her hair, “I can’t! He would never want something as hideous as me!” He was the Ambassador, he could have anyone he desired, and he was certain that his wife was probably one of the most beautiful of Vulcan. She glanced up to the mirror and stared at the woman staring back. She was covered in scars, no one would want something so damaged, she was good enough to protect the Ambassador, and knew she would be able to convince he to create the federation, but to ask for something more. She but her lip as she hung her head.

 

Kate’s fingers slipped over the long scars that marred her skin, the most noticeable of them traveled down her abdomen, it started under her left breast and ended just above her hip bone, it was one of the most painful of them to bear. The bite of the knife assaulted her memory as well as the gleam of joy in her captor’s eyes, causing her to shiver. “I just want to be considered beautiful,” she whispered brokenly, she didn’t think she was anymore. She slipped her bra off as well as her panties and looked at her reflections, long ago she would have been she knew that, but the scars made her a monster.

 

Tears slipped down her cheeks unbidden as she looked at her arm, it didn’t matter if she died for Soval perhaps that would be her only future, and she knew she didn’t have one with a husband and children. No one would want something so ugly. The Ambassador wasn’t the warmest individual but she could remember the time when he had been, the time he had reached out and taken her hand. He had given her comfort, and confidence, even when she didn’t expect it. In that square he had offered affection to a lost child, who was in pain, and again in the server room, he had given her courage and power. He wasn’t a bad person, he was a Vulcan, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel.

 

Suran himself had stated that Soval’s emotions were powerful, so much so that they had to keep control of them at all times. Kate hummed as she slowly played with her hair, allowing her wavy golden hair to fall around her, it framed her face and she looked into the mirror. “If only I was beautiful,” she whispered brokenly before looking down at the carpet beneath her bare feet.

 

Kate slipped into the bathroom and turned on the shower, it was scalding hot and the steam flooded the room. The water hitting her skin, slowly warming her body, if only she could loosen her joints and muscles, a massage was ideal but not possible. She sighed as the water ran over her shoulders, it was soothing her ragged mind and she hummed.

 

~~vOv~~

 

 

Cold, it slips through the skin and settles in the bones as though it had always been there, a numbing sensation sets in at first, before an agonizing fire retaliates to prevent the loss of limb. Dark eyes fell on purple fingers, tremors ripped through the usually still limbs of the Vulcan Ambassador, and it took all he had to prevent his teeth from chattering. He had gotten too cold while they waited for Shran, as always the Andorian was enjoying himself in the snow. His joints refused to obey, resulting in him moving far too stiffly, his fluid motions form years of training with a lirpa were non-existent. His arms wrapped around himself intensity, in an fruitless attempt to warm himself as he pushed his limbs to go up the stairs.

 

He had sent Kate to take a shower because she was turning blue, he wasn’t about to loser her to hypothermia. Soval turned the corner and as soon as he entered his room turned up the heat, yet, for as high as he pushed the thermostat, he didn’t feel the adjustment. He lacked the ability to adjust his body temperature on his own, which was alarming. Vulcan’s were able to internally adjust their core temperatures to compensate, and yet he was unable to do so, proof that he had been out in the arctic winds too long. Heat, his mind screamed for him to find a source of heat and curl against it. Without hesitation he slipped out of his wet clothing and put on both a thick sweater and a pullover, he remembered arguing with Suran that he did not require such an article, only now did he realize how incorrect he was.

 

He slipped into a pair of thick jeans and hiking socks, his arms curling around his middle as he did so. Yet for all these changes, nothing occurred, he was still too cold. His eyes floated over to the bed for the duvet only to realize that wouldn’t be drastic enough. Oddly Stark didn’t have heat laps, there was a fireplace but he didn’t desire attempting the stairs, his joints were too stiff and the likelihood that he would fall was far greater than going up them.

 

His eyes fell on the bathroom, Stark had both sonics and a hydro shower, sonics wouldn’t warm him. Sonics knocked the dirt away, the water however would. The issue was he found water based showers immensely uncomfortable. A quick one would raise his body temperature, but he would have to make sure he remained conscious, considering Vulcan’s were far more sensitive to water than humans. He stared at the bathroom, it was tempting, and at that point all his body craved was heat. Soval hummed as he walked into the bathroom, there weren’t any towels hanging.

 

The Ambassador looked around the cobalt blue room, with white marble tiles for some kind of closet. Most humans kept a closet for towels and such in the bathroom, it was logical after all. His eyes flickered over the modern sink that was essentially a large glass bowl mounted on a cabinet with silver fittings and a drain. The shower was enclosed by a pair of clear glass walls. The closet was located a few paces from the shower, clearly who ever designed the bathroom had quite a bit of logic. With as much grace as he could muster, he commanded his frozen limbs to move.

 

Soval opened the linen closet only to discover there weren’t any towels, he didn’t find it Kate’s fault, considering the house wasn’t hers. He walked through the hallway to where she had said the Master bedroom was. The Vulcan paused outside the door when he noticed it was open a crack, he gazed through it, it was silent and at first he had thought she were asleep. He wasn’t about to wake her after the long day, he would simply wrap himself in as many blankets as possible and attempt to meditate, although he was certain that wasn’t possible since his biology was forcing him to stay awake to prevent himself from passing out and becoming more vulnerable. He had been hoping to use the hot water to warm his skin and make himself more comfortable.

 

There was a sigh, it sounded broken and dejected, and his dark eyes fell on her standing in the nude before a mirror. He was about to look away when his eyes caught something he wished they never had.

 

Long angry scars across her back, they stood out against her pale skin he was frozen. She had far too many, he thought that some of them were from previous missions but logic argued against this. His eyes glided over long ghosts of scars traveling down her back, from shoulder to her lower back, crossing angrily, marring what should have been perfectly smooth skin. Scars on her arms jagged and gnarled, he couldn’t see even a whisper of the scar she was bearing from being shot in the arm in the alley, there were simply too many.

 

Yet there was one scar in particular that wasn’t on her back, arms or thighs even, it was the most visible and the raised skin was still pink. Kate turned slightly to gaze at her reflection in the mirror, only for him to see it, a scar travelling from under her breast, across her abdomen and ending at her hip bone. It was vicious in nature, it had been done to break her, it wasn’t unusual in the act of torture to resort to such methods, but he prayed she hadn’t been subjected to such violence. Scars of that nature were often accompanied by deeds that made any Vulcan boil with rage. His lips parted and he attempted to get himself to look away, to give her the privacy she needed, he already knew banishing those images was impossible, his memory would never allow it.

 

Soval drew a deep breath in an attempt to center himself, Max, his friend would have been furious. It made him wonder when such a thing harmed her, when someone had been bold enough to take a whip to her back and knife to her skin. If they had done so when Maxwell was alive he knew full well that it would be impossible to find the body. No one deserved that kind of treatment and if Maxwell had learned of the act being inflicted on not only his daughter but others, he knew the Admiral would make the perpetrators vanish conveniently.

 

Questions burned in his mind. He had given Kate his contacts and even informed Suran as well as the temporary Ambassador that if she were to contact them, her call was to be forwarded to him, regardless of time and engagements. All she had to do was call, she just had to reach out and he could have helped her, as he had Maxwell so long ago when Star Fleet had abandoned him. He could have saved her, protected her, provided comfort, and brought punishment to those who wronged her.

 

No, he would have, he would have dropped everything and ran across the universe just for her. He couldn’t handle the notion of her being in such agony, to imagine her in tears, broken and alone. Green fires wrapped around him and he forced them back, he was already cold, allowing him self to enter a state of rage wasn’t a good idea; it would make the situation far worse.

 

“If only I was beautiful,” the words rang in his ears and the Ambassador grit his teeth, his control was breaking as he listened to her, he noticed tears sliding down his cheeks and it took everything he had not to lash out. To not question her relentlessly to learn of the vile creature that had done this and kills him. No questioning would cause pain, he had to calm her. Soval shook his head, emotions were swirling out of his control and he fought to keep them in check. He couldn’t become emotionally compromised now.

 

He watched her turn to the bathroom and felt his heart ache in his side. Those scars weren’t something she should have. Kate slipped into the Master Bathroom and the door closed behind her. Soval slipped his hand around the door and gripped it harshly, there was a part of him that wanted to embrace her and tell her she was wrong. It wasn’t proper, it broke propriety and her trust that he would violate her personal space, but he couldn’t handle her having such low self-esteem. Maxwell was proud, as was her mother, to see the girl in such a state, to have been battered angered him, annoyed him, hurt him and made him desire to break something. His control was slipping as he gripped the door harder.

 

Dark eyes remained on the bathroom door, there was a primitive part of his mind screaming at him to comfort her, to trace her scars with his fingers and tell her that she wasn’t beautiful, she was gorgeous. The Ambassador growled as he released the door and returned to his room, he required meditation and warmth, something to bring him just a modicum of peace, just a measure that would allow him to sleep. He stepped into his room and closed his eyes, control, he needed to have control.

 

Once he had the device they would be all business, and there wouldn’t be anything else. Business, professionalism, he could handle that.

 

Professionalism, the same word he had uttered when his anger boiled after the High Command refused to build the new consulate on Earth. His wife had dreamed of having her work on display for all the universe and since Earth was proposing to serve as a central hub, there was no other place to put the building. Soval had held onto the plans for decades, hoping that he would one day have the opportunity to work as the Ambassador on Earth. With each assignment she would tell him he would perform admirably and to the best of his abilities. Never once did she question his skills. He closed his eyes and saw the image of his wife, her light brown hair and brilliant hazel eyes. She was paler than he was and had delicate features. Her voice would ground him, and her creativity fueled his desire to become even more for her.

 

He could remember her slender form perched on a stool before her massive holographic table, the lights dimmed and her fingers dancing in the air, adjusting measurements, altering the location of beams and working on floor plans that were fluid, yet confined. Her hazel eyes would be locked on the brilliant blue renderings, manipulating each element as though it were the most natural act. Off to her side on a smaller table away from her tools would be a cup of tea and a tea pot, as well as another stool just for him. Watching her create was intriguing, somehow she managed to take something as simple as a line and use it to create an entire structure. For hours he would sit beside her, working on his PADD in the comfortable silence.

 

The drawings, those drawings were the greatest of her work, the pinnacle of it. She had designed sky scrapers, public buildings, hospitals and many other structures, including a trading post on a far moon of Hetrix III and on Risa. However the greatest of them was the Embassy, his embassy, which had existed only on paper for years. Vulcan had used human built buildings out of simplicity. For decades T’Androma had worked to change this, to have a structure erected that represented Vulcan as a culture. She proposed the drawings time and time again, and each time they had offered her the chance of the structure being built on another planet. T’Androma’s argument was always, the same, ‘Earth is proposing to become the center of a planetary alliance, shouldn’t it be built there?’ This was after a number Ministers had agreed that the structure represented Vulcan ideals and would certainly cause other cultures to remember their age as well as superiority.

 

Decades flew by as she built more buildings, and she slowly aged, Soval knew what he wanted, he would have the consulate built for their anniversary. It would be the first and only thing he would ever ask of the High Command. It was the reason he had gone to the High Command’s meeting hall that day. That terrible day he had been the reason she died, the explosion was meant for him, never her. Soval clenched his fists, everyone who got close to him got hurt.

 

The vivid scar appeared in his mind and he lashed out, he picked up a black decorative glass vase with a vein of red running up the side, and threw it. He watched it fly through the air before slamming into the wall on the opposite side of the room, the shards flew across the floor, and the sound of glass shattering against the wall soothed something inside of him. It was primitive, and he clenched his fingers in fists as he growled darkly. His body trembled with the anger he was attempting to contain, his desire was to kill the person who wronged her, to destroy him with his hands and enjoy the feeling of watching a vile creature begging him for mercy.

 

Kate’s terrified blue eyes from that night when she had first tasted his anger flickered in his mind and Soval instantly snapped from his tirade. He felt himself exhale and stared in shock at the room, the vase was in pieces, glistening like jagged diamonds against the dark hardwood floor, just under a photo. Soval staggered backward until he was leaning against the door. His eyes wide with shock, he had done that. He hadn’t lost control to such a degree since he was a teenager, not even after his wife’s death did he commit such and act. He felt the door’s harsh surface press against his back and he slowly slid down it until he was sitting on the floor. His hands rested at his sides and he looked up at the ceiling unseeing.

 

“What are you doing to me Kate?” he asked.

 

Soval ran his fingers through his hair, and glanced at the mess. He probably scuffed the paint on the wall, it wouldn’t be a first time. He slowly pushed himself away from the wall and walked over to the mess. He didn’t care about the glass as much as he did maintaining his control. Dark eyes fell on the pile of jagged glass shards, before he walked into the bathroom and grabbed the trash reciprocal and a dust pan which was under the sink. The jingle of the shards of glass as they were swept off the floor and into the dustpan echoed in the room. The mess was cleaned quickly and efficiently, as always. Yet, it didn’t fix the fact that he had lost control.

 

“Professionalism,” he whispered, “We are professionals.”

 

Soval slowly walked over to his bag and reached into it, he was going to grab his PADD when he felt something cool and familiar against his fingers. He slowly fished it out of his bag and stared, he had forgotten that he had instructed Suran to always pack it. It was a bronze colored holographic image disk, he knew what was on it. He slowly sat in the middle of the bed and turned it on.

 

Immediate the disk flickered to life and he watched a young woman with pointed ears glance up from her work station to look up at him. Her hazel eyes seemed to dance, the red sky was darker in the background and he could see Vulcan’s dual suns setting on the horizon. It casted an elegant orange glow across her features, making her hazel eyes burn brightly. She smiled a little for him as she straightened and began to walk him through the drawing, her voice was crisp and clear as a bell. As she was pointing out where she was going to have the supports for the foyer laid, another woman entered. She had long black hair, which was tied behind her head, she had his hair and her mother’s eyes, her complexion was a tone in between them, his drastic dark olive skin tone and her pale golden. She had small lips and a soft rounded nose, her figure was fuller than her mothers, but she had her mother’s passion for her work. T’Zantha looked at him inquisitively before looking to her mother’s work.

 

“Ambassador?” asked a familiar voice, it didn’t belong to the holo-player. Soval looked up to see Kate standing in the doorway, her blonde hair was down and she was looking at the images before him. “Sorry, I heard a crash and wanted to make sure you were alright,” she explained, “May I enter?” Soval nodded mutely and looked at the image before him, his family, or what remained of them. Kate’s blue eyes fell on them and she whispered, “They’re beautiful. Who are they?” Soval was tempted to tell her that it didn’t apply to her, however, he couldn’t not after seeing her scars, there was a part of him that felt as though in order for him to atone for his error she had to see some of his scars.

 

He held out the holo-player to her tentatively, his eyes never leaving Kate’s as he did so. She understood and with slight hesitation collected the device. “That was my family, the woman on the left was my wife, T’Andoroma, and the young woman on the right is my daughter, T’Zantha,” he explained. Kate was silent as she looked at the pair, only for the image to shift and she had finally gotten to see the three of them together. He was younger in the photo and had only just begun to gray; Kate stared at the image and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

 

Soval nodded, he couldn’t tell her apologies were illogical, he could tell she was sincere in the statement and there was a part of him that was glad she felt something for his loved ones. “T’Androma was an architect, she designed the consulate,” he stated. Kate nodded as she looked to him and he was about to ask how she knew until she replied simply, “Suran.” Of course Suran had told her who had designed the building. Then again her full name was on a plaque near the entrance.

 

He remembered the day he had watched them mount the plaque, it was the first time he had met Maxwell, a brilliant young man who was determined to get into space. He had been asked to meet with him and hand off the plans for the engine, only to find himself being part of a photography opportunity and having his face plastered on the front page of every major Earth Paper. Maxwell of course was nervous about the encounter and had made it clear he never intended for himself to be used in such a way. However, Soval saw no harm, considering the young man was not only respectable but genuinely interested in the newly opened consulate.

 

He noticed the device flicker and watched her eyes widen at the next image. It was of him leaning over a holographic projector and pointing to several Vulcan construction crews as they began working on the substructure of what would become the consulate. “It took me a decade to convince the High Command build T’Androma’s building after wrecking what was the consulate,” he said after a pause. Kate’s gaze lifted to him and he noticed a spark in her blue eyes, she was genuinely interested, she had the same look Maxwell did when ever he was. She tentatively sat on the edge of his bed, “The High Command had refused, stating that the building was still standing and useable, even though it wasn’t structurally sound,” he stated, “T’Androma had designed the Consulate after I had been promoted to Ambassador, and it was a gift to me during the ceremony.”

 

Sadness filled him as he drew a deep breath and continued, “I had told her it was unnecessary, I didn’t require a gift since I was only to become the Ambassador to Trylex seven in the Gamma quadrant. She of course argued other wise and decided to give me the drawings. At the time, I was the youngest of the Ambassadors, young, hard working and determined to prove my worth. So, in honor of this she designed a building that had a strong presence, that was inspired by Vulcan design but wasn’t hampered by tradition.

 

“The design it’s self was entered in a competition several times, when there had been a chance that the consulate here on Earth would then be rebuilt. I had submitted her designs for her, without her knowledge, I had seen it as only logical since she had desired her building to be seen by all species,” he explained and Kate chuckled. He paused and looked at her questioningly, she shook her head and commented, “Of course you did.” He could tell she had found it amusing and decided to leave that matter for later discussion. “T’Androma was irritated with me for submitting them, she even threatened to have both myself and Zan sleep outside,” he stated. Kate stared at him and Soval realized she was unaware of his pet, “My Sehlat, Zan. We both managed to negotiate to at least sleeping on my side of the bed, well Zan got to sleep in the bed and I was… how the Admiral used to say, ‘banished to the couch’. My banishment lasted for two weeks as the judges deliberated on drawings.

 

“Then one afternoon when I returned from the offices I found myself with my wife in my arms and groceries on the floor. It was the first time she had exhibited such emotion openly, she had been named one of the top three architects out of the 6,893 that had entered. Her designs were featured in several articles and those who had access to the files had immediately asked to hire her. T’Androma went from an unknown name in a large architecture firm to the owner of her own in less than a year,” he stated, Kate’s eyes shined and he noticed a warm smile on her lips, the holo-player was left on the bed, images flickering by as he recounted the story.

 

Soval looked to his hands for a moment and remembered what her hands had felt like in them. Those small strong and calloused hands that were a conduit for her creativity and unusual ideas, which had been his inspiration on many occasions. For a Vulcan T’Androma was the most creative he had ever met. “She quickly became renown on Vulcan and was building structures across the universe, she traveled as much as I did, and our daughter was more than agreeable with maintaining the house while we worked. There were many occurrences where our paths would cross, mine in the diplomatic circles and hers with the architects,” he continued as he remembered the lunches with her in exotic locations and bringing her to dinners.

 

Kate’s eyes fell on the holo-player and she watched as the building took shape, with each image they made even more progress, “She never got to see it built,” she said softly, it was saddening to hear her voice take on such a sound of solemnity. “No, she did not,” he replied. A tear slipped down Kate’s cheeks, and Soval paused, he had hurt her. “It was not my intention to harm,” he jumped instantly. Kate laughed and shook her head, “No, it’s just, she sounds amazing, I wish I met her,” she explained. Soval allowed a small smile to curl his lips, he was certain T’Androma would have liked Kate. “You fought for it didn’t you? You’re the reason it was built,” she said after a moment.

 

Clearly she was every bit the investigator as Maxwell had been and he replied, “Yes, she had won the competition, and it was only logical to showcase the building on Earth.” He watched as a look of both respect and joy warmed Kate’s features, chasing away all the evidence of pain she possessed. He was confused as he felt her mood shift and lighten. “You made her immortal,” she observed, “By having the building built and overseeing the construction you made sure that her legacy lived on and her desires were fulfilled.” Soval was still, there was only one other person who had pointed that out, another intelligent woman so long ago. “Now you are the Ambassador,” she said softly, “and you protect her memory.”

 

Soval watched as Kate looked over the images, it had come to an end and the final image was one that he knew she had seen before. Standing beside him was Maxwell, dressed in a Lieutenants uniform, holding a PADD, they were standing before a plaque which he had just unveiled with his wife’s name on it, written in Standard, Vulcan and all the languages of the Collation. It glimmered in the light against the brick red tiles of the foyer and was in a place of honor by the door.

 

Kate was silent as she shifted on the bed and asked, “Do you need anything?” The question was posed with an air of kindness, it wasn’t only because she was the host but shone that she had somehow looked through his façade and into the emotional turbulence. He was about to say towels only to realize that he didn’t feel as cold as he had before, somehow talking to her and sitting in the warm room had helped him.

 

“No, thank you, I’m adequate,” he replied.

 

Kate chuckled, the sound rang in his ears, it was lighter than his wife’s laugh and warmed a part of him that he thought was dead. She slipped a damp strand of blonde hair behind her ear and tugged the sleeves of her dark plum sweater down. “Okay, well I’m going to bed,” she said after a moment, “I guess we’ll look at the file tomorrow.”

 

He watched as she got off his bed and began to cross the room, “Good night, Soval,” she said softly on her way out. She was gone before he had a chance to bid her the same and he smiled as he turned off the holo-player, “Good night, Kate, sweet dreams,” he whispered to the empty space.


	12. Knowledge & Power

Curiosity swarmed the house, it was ebbing at every corner of the occupants minds. The encounter with Shran was fresh in their minds, to the point that Soval had only meditated for an hour and Kate couldn’t sleep, her mind was too restless. She walked down the stairs to see the Ambassador studying the pyramid on the living room table. His gaze was pensive and he seemed to gaze at it as though he were attempting to ascertain how it worked by merely examining it. She walked into the room hesitantly, she was wearing a baggy purple sweater that fell off her shoulder and a pair of long black velvet yoga pants, which seemed to swim around her feet. The floors were cool, but not too cold.

 

As she walked into the living room she noticed the sunlight from the sun had slipped through the windows, its rays warming surfaces and surrounding the Ambassador with light. He was wearing a dark maroon sweater, it was thick and she noticed how it seemed to warm his face. His features appeared softer, and less intimidating in it, for once he looked like a simple being, rather than the powerful Envoy from Vulcan she was acquainted with. She paused as she stepped into the living room, “Good morning,” she greeted. Soval looked up from the table and arched a brow, “I had expected you to sleep longer, humans require more rest than Vulcans,” he remarked.

 

Kate hummed as she walked down the stairs and into the living room. “I couldn’t sleep,” she replied as she swept around the table, across from him. She then slowly settled on the floor, her legs crossed and she rested her arms on the table. Kate looked at the pyramid with interest as she leaned against her palms, she had no idea how it worked, and had hoped at least the messenger had. “Why?” asked Soval after a moment, he seemed hesitant and she had a feeling it was because of their lack of personal conversation between them. They were always focused on business, the first time they had conversed about her personal life involved a memory of her father.

 

In many ways, he was out of his depth, and yet he was attempting to speak with her. She was well aware Vulcan’s didn’t do small talk, however, he seemed to ignore this and ask her. She wasn’t sure if it was his way of being polite or was genuinely curious. “This,” she stated as she stared pointedly at the object, she knew it was childish but she had expected something more from Stark – the man who was into complexity and extravagance. She had expected an elaborate piece of technology, and yet all she had received was a pyramid, that didn’t look anything like the technology she had known.

 

She glanced over to see the Ambassador also examining it, “I will confess it has occupied my mind as well,” he replied. She wasn’t surprised, their future was hanging in the balance based on the information on this diamond, not just theirs but the planet’s and the stars in the heavens above. She nodded as she swept some of her blond hair behind her ear.

 

Soval and Kate stared at the reader which was on the table before them, it looked different in the daylight than it had in that of the moon. The clear pyramid wasn’t as transparent as she had thought, while it was glossy, it was impossible to see the components inside of it. It stood on the table of the living room, and contrasted greatly against the natural elements, it was sleek and harsh compared to the soft tones of gold and green. “How do we know if it’s on?” she asked. Soval stared at her, his brown eyes were filled with confusion and it became clear that he also had no idea how it worked. Kate drew a deep breath and huffed, “Of course, he sends us to get it and then doesn’t tell us how it works,” she grumbled as she walked over to the table.

 

Kate knelt on the floor before the devise, the carpet was plush and full against her sore knees. The pendant winked in the light of the sun, she leaned over it in an attempt to figure out how to turn it on when the pendant slipped out of her sweater. There was a crackle and she looked down to see the clear pyramid turn black and bright blue lines appear around the tip. “What?” she asked in confusion as she backed away only for the lines to vanish and it to become clear once again. “Fascinating, it is activated when the diamond is near it,” said Soval as he took a step closer. He then knelt on the floor across from her, his eyes falling on the now black pyramid. Kate reached around her neck and quickly released the lobster clasp before allowing the necklace to slip from her neck, the gossamer silver chain made her fingers tremble as she held it near the pyramid, only it didn’t react.

 

Blue eyes narrowed in confusion until Soval said, “Hold the pendant over it, as though you were going to put it inside the capstone.” Kate did as he suggested and dangled the pendant over the pyramid’s tip. The crackling occurred once more, only this time she watched as the tip was broken in quarters, like the GD logo. Silently she watched the wedges that had been created by the once solid lip slip downward, revealing a compartment that was the perfect size for the diamond. She looked to the Ambassador and then to the device as she slipped it into the port. There was a click and she listened to several loud chirps before the pyramid lit up entirely, it glowed a transparent blue until it became pure white. She was confused until light slipped out of the tip and she looked over Soval’s shoulder in wonder.

 

Her lips parted as her eyes widened, once again she was captured in the magic and genius that was Stark. The room was transformed into a whole new world, it was bright and the images were of the highest quality she had ever seen come out of a holographic projector. It looked as though she could reach out and touch them. Flickering behind him were images of Earth and its society, all captured in the highest resolution she had ever seen.

 

Soval looked equally enthralled as he too looked around them, only now did she realize what ever technology it was, it had projected a hologram 360 degrees around them. She listened to the speech of people, and chirp of birds. Gulls jumped off the ground and leapt into the air, their wings beating against the turbulent winds of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge was in the background. Her eyes never left the images of life as humanity celebrated it’s harmony with nature. “It’s gorgeous,” she breathed.

 

Just as she did so the images shifted into what had appeared to be blue prints, “The UN Building?” she asked as she looked at the images, it didn’t make sense, it was located in New York, it was surrounded by the flags of nations, waving with pride. Delegates moved freely and just as she was about to question its purpose she watched Starfleet’s headquarters appear. Its unmistakable silver compound surrounded by a maze of hallways and a large turret like structure in the center was a tip off. It was nothing like the elegant Consulate she stayed in.

 

Suddenly it was as though the room was plunged in darkness, the UN flickered into view once more, only this time she watched it as it exploded. The images occurred slowly as though someone had purposely slowed them, her eyes narrowed as she watched the bright yellow and orange flames force the glass out of the windowpanes and the delegates scatter. Shouting rang in her ears, and she nearly missed it, only it appeared that Stark had taken the liberty of showing them more detail as the individuals’ face was suddenly in view. “The same assailant, a little older,” said Kate as she looked at all of his basic features, focusing on the eyes, nose and lips as well as ears. It wasn’t easy to change the basic structure of the face, and although skin sagged on humans as it aged, these basic structures were unmistakable.

 

The image was ushered away and she felt as though someone had grabbed them by their ankles and was dragging them into the deepest pits of hell. She watched as images of explosives came into view, each explosion lighting up the dark room, she could see shrapnel flying and with each one the same face, as well as a few others appeared, “He doesn’t work alone,” she stated a she pointed to three other faces that were in common. Soval stared at her as she pointed to them, “He has a team, it is logical, each location is difficult to enter without a skilled group,” Soval stated.

 

Kate watched as people died, over and over again, she watched the bombs detonate, and the physics programs that ran simultaneously. “This program, it’s not something we use. Do the Vulcans have something like it?” she asked as she watched the algorithms across the bottom of the screen and renditions of bomb location and chemical composition from the blast footage alone. She had seen such work with shrapnel and fragments but never with footage and sound.

 

“No, we do not. We have other technology which allows for us to reconstruct the explosions,” he stated, “Nothing that allows us to analyze it from footage, and compile it to create something this detailed.” She could hear the awe in his voice, which she couldn’t blame him for, Stark seemed to have a certain talent for creating things that not even Vulcans had dared to.

 

The subject changed as she identified the crew of four individuals that were responsible for the bombs. “We need to get those faces to Amanda and Suran,” she stated, Soval nodded in accord, it was all they had on these individuals. Soval was staring past her shoulder and she turned to see a man standing on a podium in the middle of a massive meeting hall, he stood out in his black ensemble against the gold and silver walls of a building. The man was bald and had a pair of nearly black eyes, which made him seem soulless. His voice was dark and commanding; it rang in her ears and sent a shiver through her. “It’s like watching a newsreel from the 1940s and seeing Hitler,” she whispered, the parallels between their body language, subject of the speech and overall air was enough to sicken her.

 

 “Terra Prime’s goal is to get rid of all alien occupants on Earth. We never asked them to come! They invited themselves and look what they have done! Look at the damage and all the lives they have cost!” shouted the speaker, “We never asked for their help and now look at the damage! They are unclean, Terra is for the people of EARTH, Humans, not for aliens to come and treat us like exhibits!” shouted the man, his eyes never leaving the camera. She could hear the cheering of what she assumed to be thousands.

 

She looked over to see Soval was still composed and wondered if his control would snap at some point, however based on his expression she had a feeling this wasn’t his first time dealing with such prodigious. “We must purge the Earth of these abominations and wipe the slate clean to preserve our ways, the human way,” the speaker commanded. The speech continued and Kate’s sky blue eyes widened, reports of children from other worlds being murder brutally flittered across the screen. Each time they were twisted out of proportion, butcher as though they were less than alive and she stared at the mutilated shells of what she knew were once vibrant children. Blood smeared across surfaces, murder weapons of the crudest construction and banners proclaiming Terra as belonging to humanity were found.

 

She felt her stomach drop and blood run cold at the report of a young Vulcan being subjected to such torture, he was strung up and she wouldn’t have recognized him if it weren’t for the ears and winged brows. The child’s arms were chained from the ceiling and she stared at his body, he had been flayed brutally after being burned, there was discoloration from frost bite and she realized this had all occurred in an icebox. Bright green blood covered nearly every surface and her stomach twisted. An animalistic growl rang in her ears, causing Kate to immediately turn to the ambassador.

 

Soval’s dark eyes were narrowed, his lips curled back in a snarl and for the first time she could truly see his fury. “Soval?” she asked tentatively and the Ambassador grit his teeth, it looked as though it was taking all he had not to break the pyramid. “That was L’Vor, he was nine Terran years old, his family had come here to assist in research and brought their son,” he growled, “He was taken in the middle of the night in Berlin. We searched for weeks, but never found him. Not even a bond worked.”

 

Kate looked slightly confused, from what she knew, Vulcan children bonded with their parents to protect them and to teach them about control of their emotions, to provide order to chaos as they grew up. “How? Bonds can’t be broken by humans, right?” she asked. Soval inhaled and she realized the was fortifying himself as though what he was going to say next was physically painful, “No, the bond wasn’t severed until the boy’s death. They had given him a compound that sedated him until he was roused for the torture,” he stated. Kate stared, that meant, “My god, they felt him. They felt their son’s pain and couldn’t help him,” she whispered in pain.

 

Soval was still before he stated, “His parents returned to Vulcan and have yet to have another child, both are part of the Vulcan Science Academy and refuse to return to Earth.” Kate couldn’t imagine the agony, to lose a child to a bunch of monsters and never know what had happened or have a body to bring home.

 

It was then she realized she was more fortunate than they were, her father’s body came home, and their son was lost to them on an alien planet and would never return to Vulcan’s red sands. “I grieve with thee,” she whispered out of respect.

 

Soval didn’t comment as more images rolled by, women, children, men, it didn’t matter they were all subjects of this treatment. Kate felt her stomach twist as reports of families slaughtered because they were different flittered across the screens, so much blood, it was a wonder that any other planet desired to work with them. There were recordings of events, floggings, several burned alive, she didn’t think such violence existed anymore.   

 

The events continued to transpire only to slow, it was a conversation in a boardroom, the speaker from the first speech was absent and in his place was a tall man with a long face and dark blue eyes, his skin was lightly tanned and he had lines that indicated a great deal of stress had been placed upon him. “Is it set?” asked the man at the head of the table. The camera shifted and she looked around the massive screen only to see the rest of the group hung in the shadows, “Yes, he’s in place, we have been able to keep Forrest in the dark,” hissed one of them.

 

Kate perked up immediately, “Excellent, make sure we keep Archer busy,” replied the man who was obviously the leader.

 

There was a silence and she listened for a moment as another speaker began, “That will not be an issue, he will be working on the outer reaches of the universe. We have seen to that he has been routed to our connections on Vulcan.” Kate’s blood went to ice as she watched the man’s lips split into a sickening smile, Vulcan, they had people on Vulcan. Her eyes flew to Soval who looked pale and his eyes widened, his nostrils flared and his lips parted, words dying on them. She didn’t know much about their culture, but from his reaction this news was more disturbing than even she realized.

 

“The Andorians are being distracted, now we just have to make sure the prototype works,” said a third, his voice was raspy as though he has smoked too many cigarettes, a rare issue in their time. The Andorians were being played; she could only imagine the chaos that would ensue when the Imperial Guard heard this. They were chasing something else, something that wasn’t Vulcan, and that was surely going to lead to the fury of the Guard.

 

There was a laugh, it was familiar and she froze, “No,” she whispered, she knew that laugh and listened closely hoping the same tone she had grown up knowing was absent. “Don’t worry about them, once we have them chasing the Vulcans, and they will surely call in the rest of the collation, it will be easy,” stated the voice. Kate shivered and stared at the images, “Gardner,” she whispered. The Admiral was behind this, he had been part of this. She felt her blood boil and was about to knock the devise off the table when the images flickered and the leader said, “We did not acquire the information to break into the Vulcan Consulate, however we have it for the Andorians, Denobulans and other members, sadly our asset wouldn’t break.”

 

She noticed the table flicker and images sprawling across it, she watched the angle change and she stared at a figure who had been strung up in the middle of a warehouse, he looked more like a piece of meat than a man at that moment. His skin was irritated and red, he had soft blonde hair and she stared at the Starfleet regulation pants.

 

“Look away,” said Soval quickly, his tone was clipped, and she looked over to see the urgency in his eyes. It looked as though he was pleading with her to shield herself from what she was about to witness, she had seen the images of children tortured, buildings exploding and a serious case of violence. Yet for this he wanted her to run. It was illogical, he never made decisions based on emotions, yet his were showing. The child had broken him and now he looked as though he was going to leap across the table and shield her from the information flying by them.

 

 “What?” she asked in confusion. The Ambassador’s gaze was heavy.

 

**“Look away.”**

 

She crossed her arms and hissed, “What give you the right to,” she began only to hear the crack of leather against skin and a whimper. Kate huffed, she had seen worse, after all she had been conditioned to no longer react when being tortured or witnessing torture, it would cloud judgment.

 

Questions rattled off the walls, some on Starfleet and others about the Ambassador, long red ribbons stood out angrily against the young man’s back, his torso was covered in bruising and she watched as they pulled a knife out. Its silver blade angrily biting into the man’s skin, “Answer us,” one of the men hissed as he grabbed fair blond hair and roughly yanked the man’s head up.

 

It was then she understood, her hands flew up to her mouth as she watched the crystal clear blue eyes of her father narrow. His lip was split and she noticed blood traveling down his chin. Yet despite the injuries, he remained defiant, “Daddy?” she asked her voice trembling as all her training abandoned her, this wasn’t a teammate or a charge - this was her father.

 

A younger version of Maxwell Forrest glared at them and replied, “No,” it was soft yet firm in resolve. A vicious grin curled the lips of the man before him, “Fine then, bring it over.” Kate watched in confusion as a large brand was brought over, it was glowing bright orange and she felt every muscle in her body stiffen, she wanted to look away. Her father was strong, he protected her, he taught her how to fight. Yet, there he was helpless and in so much pain, to see someone desire to hurt him made her want to scream.

 

She so desperately wanted to do as Soval instructed, to look away, but couldn’t. Her chest tightened painfully and even the act of drawing air was painful. Her eyes fell on her father as his face twisted, another scream left his lips, ringing in her ears. He never screamed or cried, never had he appeared so vulnerable, so exposed. Her breaths were shallow and she felt the world slipping, she couldn’t look away, she couldn’t close her eyes.

 

Suddenly warmth surrounded her and darkness followed. She was stunned for a moment and went to fight when she heard a whisper, “Peace,” it vibrated behind her and belonged to the last person she thought would touch her. She heard an unbearable scream and she just as she was about to fight, there was another touch, one to her hand. Fingers wrapped around her own, they were strong and firm, sparks seemed to fly and yet she didn’t care, what mattered was the warmth and safety. “Breath, Katharine,” Soval whispered into her hair, “Slowly,” he directed. His fingers threaded wrapped around her trembling hands, and he squeezed her hand in an attempt to ground her.

 

Kate drew a breath and felt the fear slowly slip away as warmth and waves of comfort rolled over her. She slowly drew another and felt the warm hand that had covered her eyes fall away. “Peace,” said the rich voice of the Ambassador once more. Hesitantly she opened her eyes and watched the scene before her while nestled in his protective embrace. He surrounded her with powerful arms that she knew were three times stronger than her own, and yet, he treated her as though she would shatter if he touched her wrong. “Breath,” he instructed, his voice soothing the pain like a balm on a burn.

 

A group of men barged into the room in the hologram, the sound of the doors flying open echoed in the room and she heard the rushed footsteps of individuals as well as rapid voices. At first she thought they were Starfleet, until she saw the dove gray robes of Soval, he swept into the room with grace. He was slightly less gray yet held his own in the room, standing out against the grim and without hesitation he stepped into the puddle of her father’s blood. A tan hand slipped out from his robes and she watched as he slowly slipped his fingers under her father’s chin and tipped it up to look at his face.

 

There were several rapid commands in Vulcan and she heard him whisper to her father before clutching the battered man to his chest as he was released from the restraints. “You saved my dad?” she asked tentatively, she knew that her father had known Soval for a long time, but had no idea it had been that long. He didn’t look any older than 27 in the images before her.

 

Soval’s hands fell away from her and yet, he made no movement to indicate that he wanted to leave her presence. “Yes. Starfleet didn’t know he was missing, he had missed a meeting with me,” he replied. She watched as the Ambassador took a weak man into his arms and carried him with ease. “You’re father was my best friend, the only one who understood the relationship between our worlds and saw the dream I had,” he explained, “I wouldn’t allow someone with such greatness locked inside of him to perish in such a way.” Kate nodded as she felt the Ambassador pull back, he shifted and retreated to the other side of the table, putting it between them strategically. The images continued, information on a number of attacks, locations of former meeting places and several sights where there had been busts.

 

“Hang on, those were supposed to be illicit substances and weapons,” she stated in confusion as she watched her father charge into them leading several assault teams. Only to come up empty handed. The raids stopped and yet the information continued, she was about to ask where it came from when the cameras were thrown down trash chutes into lakes and rivers only to be recovered by someone, the same person each time. She stared at the Starfleet ring around his finger.

 

The footage ended with a blueprint for a ship, a mining craft. She studied the image only for it to flicker and disappear. The pyramid was slowly turning clear as she pulled out the diamond, “It would appear that is all that there is,” said Soval. Kate felt numb, her father never mentioned the raids or attempts on his life. Not once had he stated that he had been there in the very beginning with these attacks on people and had attempted to stop them. She looked up from her hands where the diamond sat winking in the light, it looked unassuming and pretty, yet it held some of the most dangerous and darkest information within its facets.

 

“Major Forrest,” said a stern voice and Kate looked up to see the dark eyes of the Vulcan Ambassador boring into her. She slowly drew herself up and noticed how he looked even more concerned than before. It was odd, he had shown her more emotion in the past two days than he had their entire time working together. Part of her wondered if it was because she spent more time with him privately, or if it was because he felt safe around her. “Sir?” she asked as she slipped back into professionalism. The diamond had presented them with a great deal of information, so much that she wondered if there was more and they were simply unable to read it.

 

The Ambassador looked at the crystal pyramid on the table before he began, “We must show Suran the files as well as the other Ambassadors, we are all in danger,” he stated. His tone was grave, and emotions seeped through it as though they had always been there. Kate nodded numbly, she could only imagine the pain that would be caused, what ever the project was it was designed to destroy the Vulcans and the Andorians, and perhaps all chances at humanity exploring the universe.

 

She nodded firmly, “We’ll take Starks flitter, it’s fast and can make the journey. It has a polarized shell as well as advanced weapons,” she stated. She wasn’t going to ask why he had decided to anchor her, in reality she couldn’t, she didn’t need her judgment clouded. She had a job to do, protect Soval, everything else was on hold. These people were dangerous and with their size, she had a sinking feeling this was only the tip of the iceberg. She could only speculate about what was waiting for her beneath the surface. “That is wise, I will contact Shran once we arrive using a secure channel, I won’t allow this to drive us further apart,” he stated, she could hear the conviction in his voice, it was odd. Months ago she never would have.

 

Kate nodded as she got up and then fastened the necklace around her neck. “Good, I’ll contact Amanda and we can go from there, I don’t need the press to swarm,” she stated as she walked across the room and headed toward the stairs, she had to change, they were leaving, and the sooner they left the arctic the sooner they could inform the others and begin tracking these people down.

 

~~vOv~~

 

The Embassy was bustling as news of the Ambassador in the Arctic spread, it had seemed trivial at first, however several reporters were beginning to question Vulcan’s involvement in the Collation and saw this as the Ambassador taking a detour. The comments that were falling from the lips of the press made Amanda’s skin crawl and she watched as Suran attempted to beat them back with his usual weapon of choice, his diplomatic and logical stick. Yet, it wasn’t enough, tension was growing and Amanda was suddenly not just Suran’s guard but one of the people he had asked advice in how to handle humans. Days and nights began colliding together and all she could do was pray that Soval and Kate retrieved what they needed.

 

Her heels clicked as she walked down the hallway, her eyes glued on her pad when she heard a familiar voice ringing from the direction of the media wing. She paused and looked up to see the face of Andorian Ambassador, his features were distorted as he scowled, “We will not stand for actions not being taken against the Vulcan’s blatant disregard for the trade agreements!” he shouted. Amanda whipped around and barged into the media room, not caring how rude she appeared, this was more pressing. “Ambassador Soval is off in the Arctic while several more Andorian Ships have been attacked as well as Tellerite, not to mention that the Klingons have threatened the Collation that if no action is taken they will be forced to react,” spat the Andorian with irritation.

 

The camera panned and she stared at the sight of the Ambassador’s gathered, “What the hell?” she spat as she looked to one of the communications experts, they were just as confused as she was. “They’re holding a party and they didn’t invite us,” she growled as she clenched her fists. T’Vok looked up and she wondered what the VSA Liaison was doing, “This is not a social gathering Major, it’s a diplomatic forum,” she stated, her tone held sincerity. Amanda crossed her arms and replied, “It’s an expression, shouldn’t you be in the science wing?” she asked. T’Vok straightened her robes before responding, “I was asked to release information on a new modification to a vaccine we have been working on, the media group handles this.” It was logical like many of her arguments.

 

Amanda couldn’t take her eyes off the screen, “We move for the removal of Vulcan from the Collation,” commanded a Tellerite. Now she panicked, they were being muscled out. “Shit,” she cursed, “We need to crash this party before it gets out of hand. T’Vok come with me,” she said as she dashed out of the room. Suran was reading reports from Vulcan and she had a feeling he was oblivious to this development. Without warning she slammed into his office, unfortunately she was wrong, he wasn’t alone, he was speaking with Archer. “Major?” asked Suran. She was silent as she turned on the screen across from them and pointed to it. “We have bigger issues right now Jon,” she barked, not even caring about what ever topic they had been discussing before.

 

Suran was quiet as the voices of several members were in the air, they were debating. “I concur, they have breached trade agreements and this is an act of hostility, we will not stand for,” shouted an irate Coridan Ambassador. The Denobulans and Orions looked to one another, neither of them seemed easy with this decision. The Orion Ambassador left his position at the table and stated, “The evidence yielded in these investigations has lead us to realize that Vulcan is in fact breaching these contracts, we move to dissolve contract.” Suran was on his feet and turned to T’Vok, “Cancel my appointments, this is an immediate matter,” he stated. In a moment the pair were sweeping out of the room, Amanda hot on his heels. She looked at a security member and whistled, “Phaser,” she stated. With in a moment she was tossed one and she secured it on her hip.

 

The elder Vulcan slipped into the traditional brown robe of an aid and walked through the building swiftly. The press was gathering for a statement and were going to stop them until Suran held up his hand, “I suggest you move, I have an important matter to attend to,” he stated. It was as though he had parted the red sea and she watched them split to the sides and allow him through. It was a move she had seen Soval use, and wondered if all Vulcans were like this. Sitting outside the gate was a flitter ready to transport them to the meeting place.

 

She slipped inside and sat across from T’Vok and Suran. Immediately they left the vicinity, and slipped through traffic, Amanda was listening to the broad cast. Ambassador Kessil rose from her seat and stated, “While the evidence points to misconduct on the part of Vulcan, it doesn’t provide motive. Vulcan’s are logical, there is not logic in these actions.” At least someone was on their side, it was as though Kessil was stalling, and she then realized that she was. Kessil was stalling for them.

 

Amanda was startled when the flitter stopped, it was then she wondered just how many laws had been broken according to traffic safety. It was a rush as they walked through the hallways, murmurs followed Suran as he walked with an air of pride through the halls. She was shocked by how many other delegates backed away as he swept through, his robes whispering, however, he wasn’t as imposing as Soval. She had seen Soval at work, and she wondered if Suran would be able to salvage the situation. Suran walked past a pair of Starfleet guards and just as Amanda was about to follow he said, “Not you Major, contact Major Forrest.” She was confused until she realized he needed to inform the Ambassador.

 

All she could do was nod and watched as T’Vok followed him into the room, her steel gray eyes locked on the room before her, and she wondered how many times she had been standing behind Suran and served as his reinforcements. As the doors closed she quickly began to look for an alcove with a modicum of privacy. Soval needed to know. As she walked through the halls, her eyes flickered about only to notice an empty hallway. She quickly slipped into it and began to call Kate, when she noticed Archer was attempting to reach her.

A groan fell from her lips, of all the times for the Captain to call, she answered rapidly with the intent of telling him off only to see T’Pol and Archer as well as Trip and an unidentified individual. “Captain, I’m busy,” she said in a rush. Archer glared at her and replied, “I am well aware of that, but you can’t cut us off and not tell us what the hell is going on there,” he sounded furious and frustrated, a combination that would not bode well if she didn’t tell him what was occurring. She looked at the PADD and replied, “Someone called for a meeting of the Coalition and didn’t invite Vulcan. They are attempting to remove them.” There was dead silence, it was odd, especially with Archer. She had expected the hot headed captain to speak out, and yet he stared at her in disbelief.

 

T’Pol drew a breath and replied, “That is not logical, we have not violated the treaty in anyway, and expulsion must be brought on by illicit activities, behavior unfitting of a coalition member or an act of war.” Amanda knew that, and yet someone was working against them. She wished she wasn’t aware of this fact, she desperately wanted to understand what was happening, there had been signs of discontent but she didn’t think anyone would be swayed to this reaction. “Yes, but the Andorians are claiming that they have, and they fear the Klingon Empire’s reaction,” she replied. It was then the unidentified Vulcan stepped forward, “These autocracies were not committed by Vulcan, it would be illogical to commit and act of war against Andoria when we are prospering with trade routes we have with them,” he stated.

 

Amanda stared, the young Vulcan was rather tall, he had dark hair and his black eyes were filled with both logic and oddly fire, the same fire she had seen in Soval’s from time to time in passing. “Who are you?” she asked bluntly, there was no point in dancing around the bush. “Sarek of the House of Surak,” he replied. Amanda stared at the Vulcan he didn’t state his rank, but she had a feeling he was supposed to be at an Embassy. “Sarek, they aren’t all logical, they are being swayed by fear. Vulcan’s are one of the most technologically advanced races in the universe, do you really think they won’t take that into account?” she asked coldly.

 

They were a threat, even if Vulcan’s weren’t known for acts of extreme violence, she was well aware that they were capable if pushed, they did have the strength of three men after all. “Where is the Ambassador?” he asked quickly. That was a question she really wanted to know the answer to, “He is in the Yukon with Major Forrest, they are retrieving something,” she explained. Sarek was silent, displeasure rolled through the group, but only Trip and Archer were displaying this. “They aren’t back?” asked Archer in confusion. They should have arrived that morning, yet the transport hadn’t appeared.

 

Dark eyes swept over the hallway, she was making sure there wasn’t a soul eavesdropping on her conversation. “No, I was going to contact them when you called,” she replied shortly, her temper flaring. Just as Archer was about to reply Amanda heard voices, “Quiet,” she snapped as she hid the PADD behind her back, she wasn’t supposed to have it out, it was only permitted for Aid and Ambassadors to have them, as a security measure. There was a harsh voice, it grated against her ears like sandpaper. “They are voting now, it’s only a matter of time, once we force the Vulcan’s out we can make our move,” said someone. Kate was silent and quickly pulled the PADD toward her as she slipped into a supply closet. “Archer, stay quiet and I might let you hear this,” she spat as she turned the microphone sensitivity up and stood silently. There were heavy footsteps, it was odd, they did not sound human completely. “Excellent, have you located the Ambassador?” asked a supple voice, it was familiar and she began to wonder where she had heard it before. The other speaker was quiet before responding, “No, the cabin was empty.” Amanda froze, Kate would have alerted them that she was going, yet she didn’t receive a message, now she wondered what was going on. She should have, the channel was secure, no one used it anymore.

 

There was a sigh and she listened to someone say, “Pity, I was hoping they were still there, it would appear they are in the wind.” There was a pause and she glanced down to see the others listening raptly, “There is some good news, we managed to intercept a message meant for Cole, it was on a secure network, we couldn’t attack the sender, but we assume it was Forrest,” the second speaker stated. Amada froze, they knew, they knew what was occurring, which meant Kate was in danger, as was Soval. “Locate the flitter, if they are on their way back there I want it shot down,” said a the human. Now there was trouble, and she watched Archer’s expression harden.

 

“That is an issue, we can’t track it. It appears to have vanished,” stated the second speaker. Amanda was still, they were just outside the door, and one name came to mind, Stark. They had taken one of Stark’s flitters, which meant Kate wasn’t a sitting duck, however it didn’t make her feel better, they were still in the arctic. She listened to the sound of a phaser charging and she froze, “I see, I thought you told me you had good news,” he stated and she listened as she heard the other speaker mumble something in another language. “What are you?” asked the second party in confusion. Amanda listened to the smooth human voice reply, “Cleaning up, you’re useless to me now.”

 

She was confused until she heard the sound of a phaser being shot.

 

The sound echoed in her ears and she waited to hear the usual fury of footsteps, there weren’t any. Amanda pulled out her phaser and placed the PADD on a box, “Major Cole,” hissed Archer. She ignored him as she waited a moment and quickly threw the door open. She had her fire arm out and swept the hallway only to see the form of an individual retreating. “FUCK!” she shouted as she holstered the phaser and took off after them, abandoning the PADD. Her feet hit the floor as she ran, her heart pounded and she searched for any sign that the individual was still in the building.

 

Someone had just been shot and no one noticed. It was impossible, all of these buildings were equip with security measures to detect phaser fire, and the presence of there power cells. There should have been a swarm of men in the hallway in less than twenty seconds. She skidded across the floor, and stopped before Suran who was about to question her when she dashed away. “Major!” called Suran. Amanda ignored him in favor of pursuing the assailant, she had to. She slipped under the arches of the building and skidded to a stop in the atrium, it was empty. She had seen him run that direction. “Fuck,” she hissed, T’Vok was at her side and Amanda breathed, “I lost him.”

She heard the steps of Suran and noticed his gaze was locked on her with concern, “I lost them, someone has been-“ she didn’t have a chance to continue as a scream split the air. Now the alarms blared and she dashed back up the stairs, her PADD, she had left it behind, she had left evidence at the scene. Amanda swung around the corner and found herself staring at the corpse of an unknown species, at least to her. T’Vok watched as the security guards took measures, “Stand back,” commanded the chief of security. She snorted as he attempted to usher her away only for her to flash her Starfleet ID. “Major,” said the officer in a split second. He was forced to move to the side.

 

“What happened?” she asked, feigning interest, she knew but had to know what they did. She noticed some forensic specialists had been called in, all of them were human. “Shot with a phaser, killed with a single shot, the assailant hung out in the closet from the looks of it,” he stated. Amanda looked toward the closet and expected to see a silver PADD, and yet it was absent. Internally she panicked, that PADD was her link to Kate, and now it was missing. “I see, the alert systems didn’t work?” she asked.

 

The officers shook their heads and she turned back to the ginger who seemed to be in charge, his brown eyes fell on her as he replied, “They were offline for maintenance,” he stated. Amanda gaped, that was too convenient, “Maintenance? There was a meeting of dignitaries and you took the security offline!” she shouted, they could have all been killed. The security officer sighed as he crossed his arms, “Look I have orders too, besides we had to station all our security around the main hall, so the exits couldn’t be covered, we don’t have the manpower for this shit,” he barked.

 

That was why the atrium was empty, if this was so, that meant they had access to many areas that were restricted, the UN replayed in her mind as she looked down at the individual before her. “Sweep the building for explosives and bugs,” she commanded. The two stared at her and she grit her teeth, “Do it, and get everyone out.” The officer stared at her before responding petulantly, “There is no reason to, it’s secure.”

 

Amanda growled, of course they were playing this card. “Bull shit,” she snapped, which caused several people to gasp and it was then she realized it was more than the Vulcan’s watching. “You lowered security and just admitted to having all the manpower around the delegates, you haven’t had anyone on the exits or other part of the building. Anyone could have walked in and you would have never fucking known!” she shouted, her voice elevated as she thought about the blatant disregard for regulations. There was a rippled of discord behind her, when she noticed and odd marking peeking out of his collar. Starfleet didn’t allow for tattoos unless they were acquired prior to enlistment or were religious in nature. Something was wrong, very wrong.

 

The officer raised his hand in an attempt to silence her when she noticed something on the bottom of his wrist, it was a blue pyramid with a green sphere in the middle. “Major Cole, we will tend to this,” he said simply in an attempt to defuse her. She stared at him, he should have been more concerned. “Understood,” she snapped with reluctance as she pivoted and walked toward Suran who was standing next to the Andorian Ambassador. “She must be yours, Vulcan, Pink Skins don’t lie,” he hissed. Amanda ignored this and stopped before Suran she didn’t look at him and said, “Leave now, this building is not secure, they lowered security.” The Andorain Ambassador froze and watched as Suran nodded. In an instant they were walking out of the building and she noticed the Andorian’s following suit, she had expected them to stay, yet they seemed to follow the Vulcan example. Perhaps there was some trust there, either that or they had little interest in being blown apart.

 

The tension in the building was palpable, it made her even more alert as she swept out of the building and rushed them into the flitter. Just as they managed to do so she heard her Communicator chirp. In moments she had it in her hand, “Major Cole are you alright?” asked Archer. She sighed as she slowly looked at the pair, “Yes, do you know where my PADD is?” she asked, she had a feeling they were tracking it or at least had seen who had taken it. “A kid, don’t know ‘em but it was a kid,” replied Trip, his accent warming her and she nodded. “Okay, human or?” she asked.

 

Suran stared at her before looking to T’Vok, who seemed as interested as him. “No, Vulcan,” replied Archer after a pause. “Hang on, what’s a Vulcan child doing there? At a crime scene, wouldn’t they report this?” she asked. Vulcans had a strong sense of protocol it didn’t make sense, they would have immediately contact the authorities upon seeing the body, especially a child. “We don’t know, but the kid was Vulcan, if the ears are anything to go by,” said Trip. Now that was more bizarre than the maintenance call as a session was being held. For each scrap of evidence collected there were seven new questions. “Thanks, keep me posted,” she said before hanging up.

 

Her head hurt and she groaned, “Kate’s gonna kill me.”

 

~~vOv~~

 

Preparing to leave was quick as Kate had taken command and was working to get them out of the arctic, they were too exposed and Soval acknowledged this. The town had probably realized who he was and would be teeming with eager individuals as well as who ever had been attempting to destroy them. The flitter handled with ease as Kate flew, he wasn’t aware she was this skilled and began to wonder just what else he had yet to learn. He had seen her scars and felt her pain, there was a part of him that yearned to know what had caused them and to heal them. He knew it was illogical but seeing her in pain annoyed him, for a reason he didn’t know.

 

The flitter’s engines hummed, and he watched as she adjusted the course, “I’ve got a nasty headwind, I’m compensating,” she announced as she hit the thrusters to alter their course. He listened to them fire off in secession, as she redirected them and continued her trek away from the cabin, they had been in flight for an hour, and while Stark’s flitter was quick, Kate hadn’t pressed it hard. “Oh do be quiet Ambassador, you’re talking up a storm,” she remarked sarcastically. Soval looked in her direction and realized she was worried about him. After their time in the cabin and observing her at work he had come to the realization that when she was concerned about him she would acquire a certain tone and expression, one that was softer than most.

“I was unaware that my silence affected you,” he replied. She snorted as she looked over at Soval, she had insisted on piloting the flitter manually, which made sense thanks to all of the trees. Her hands tightened around the controls, “You usually talk more, especially when something like this has landed on our lap,” she replied. Her replied caused him to pause, he hadn’t thought he had confided in her that frequently. Immediately he began to think about their conversations, only to note a pattern forming as of late. Anything dealing with these assailants was a topic they spoke about, not only for security purposeless, but because of their affect on them.

 

The Ambassador watched as she huffed and continued, “I get that it isn’t my place, but this thing could kill us and I really don’t want to be blamed for the Vulcan Ambassador’s death.” Soval nodded in agreement, he didn’t want to be blamed for hers. “I understand,” he replied as he looked at her. Just as he was about to speak Kate hissed, “Fuck, what’s going on with the sensors.” The shuttle jolted forward and she quickly hit several switches. Soval watched as she rolled out of the way and noticed another ship rising, “What the hell?” she asked in confusion as she looked at the bulky gray craft.

 

Soval didn’t recognize it, he knew nearly all security vessels on sight, and yet this one wasn’t one of them. “Hold on,” she stated as she began to fly out of range, it was then he realized they were being fired upon. He looked over to the monitor and watched as the hull’s polarizing strength began to drop. “Major the polarization is at 87%,” he said quickly as he looked over the consul, it wasn’t one made with a Vulcan in mind, but with any luck it was as intuitive as all the rest had been with Stark’s designs. “Damn,” she growled as she quickly inclined upward, “He can’t kill us if he can’t get a lock,” he muttered.

 

While her logic was sound, the individual pursuing them in the unknown craft was moving just as fast and appeared to be a skilled pilot. She spun the flitter with grace before dropping in an attempt to acquire a lock, the Ambassador appeared unfazed however rather astounded by the skill she was exhibiting. He managed to locate the weapons, before she could even instruct him Soval looked for the engines on the craft, only to realize he couldn’t locate them. He shot at the hull in an attempt to damage the craft enough to get it away from them. The shots hit the hull of the gray ship, but didn’t affect it. “Weapons against the vessel are ineffective,” he reported.

 

Kate jerked away as several icons on the screen appeared; he noticed warning flickering as they took another shot. “This thing isn’t designed for this kind of beating,” she said quickly. “They have acquired lock,” he stated and felt his heart in his side pound, it wasn’t that he didn’t trust her, it was more of that they may not be able to make it out of this. Kate banked to the left, causing the ship and it’s contents to tip and the crates whined in protest against the cables holding them in place.

 

She couldn’t escape him, Kate quickly cut several thrusters and he stared at her in alarm, “Major what are you doing?” he shouted as he listened to several alarms in the flitter blare, lights flashed and the lighting in the cabin tinted red. “Hold on,” she stated as she began forcing the flitter to dive back toward the ground, “Come on,” she growled. His stomach flipped as panic spread through him. He knew better than to allow emotions to flow, but he couldn’t suppress this one. Even Vulcan’s had a sense of survival.

 

Soval was confused as he watched her push it further toward the ground only to see the gray ship following, his brown eyes widened as he realized what she was attempting, “Major the chances of us surviving this are less than 4%,” he cautioned. Kate ignored him as she hissed, “It’ll work.” His eyes widened as he watched the branches rush by, scraping against the hull and the windows, their green needles sweeping over them and the crack of tree limbs, she was in the forest. The brown tree trunks were a blur and he noticed on a side screen the gray ship was on their tail, following them. Kate adjusted the angle, they were too steep, at that rate they were going to slam into the ground. “Major, pull up,” he said quickly, they were going too fast.

 

“Not yet,” she said with determination. “Major!” shouted Soval as the  Earth grew closer, they were running out of time, now the odds were even less. He gripped the sides of his seat, “NOT YET!” she shouted over the whine of metal and screaming alarms, the dashboard lighting up with numerous gages as the flitter suggested thrusters, “KATHARINE!” he shouted as he stared at the ground, he could make out the details of a stump covered in moss, and stared.

 

It was then he heard the thruster sand she pulled on the controls harshly, “NOW ALL THRUSTERS ON MAXIMUM,” she shouted over the screaming alarms, the computer acknowledged and he felt them kick in, it was a major push upward and he felt them soaring upward and away. It didn’t work, they were still following. “What the hell is this guy?” she asked as she dodged trees, she was attempting to use her superior skills to rid them of the other pilot. He was silent as she rolled the ship and slipped between two trees, instead he occupied himself with reading the sensors, “Kate, he is 150 feet behind us, and with his rate of acceleration he will soon be on top of us,” he stated.

 

Kate grit her teeth and he watched as a pair of boulders approached, at their speed they would be unable to fly over them, which meant going between the gap. However, they were too close together, and his eyes widened, “Kate we won’t fit,” he cautioned. She sped up and said, “We’ll fit.” Soval glared at her, he knew the dimensions of the shit and could approximate those of the gap, it would be unlikely. “Kate!” he shouted as the ship turned on the side, “We will not!”

 

The blonde glared at the gap, her blue eyes were ablaze as she locked her jaw, he watched her tense as she became perpendicular with the earth, “We’ll fit, we’ll fit, we’ll fit!” she reiterated in an attempt to drive her point home. The gray rocks were even closer, “Kate!” he shouted as he watched the ship enter the crevice, he could hear the rocks scraping the paint and she said. “We’ll fit,” again as she forced the flitter through. The flitter pulled out of the crevice and shot through the air, “See we fit,” she stated.

 

Soval glared at her and said with a hint of irritation, “I do not classify that as fitting, Kate.” She continued to stay near a lake and he looked on the sensor array, he didn’t detect the ship, “Nothing on sensors,” he began only to see something appear, “Kate, 450 feet and heading in our trajectory.” She growled as she continued her trek across the lake, watching as many angles as possible. “Same as the last?” she asked. The data had proved to be such, and he wondered who was manufacturing the ships, there had to be someone. “Affirmative,” he replied.

 

She sighed as she attempted to get out of range, “Whey do I get the feeling someone’s trying to kill us?” she griped as she altered her course, the water that was displaced by the thrusters flew up and he watched it run over the ships sides. She was traveling faster than recommended, but it couldn’t be helped. Another shot was fired, “Another vessel has appeared, the same as the first two,” he stated. They were being ambushed, someone had learned where they were. They wouldn’t be able to make it, their weapons were ineffective, polarizing was dropping and she was pushing the flitter hard. He knew that an average flitter would have dropped out of the sky by that point. Even a Vulcan one that wasn’t retrofitted for an offensive ground team would have done so.

 

He was surprised by how long the flitter was holding out, and could tell that the gray ships, while bulky had advanced technology as well. “I can’t get away,” she said in a rush as she attempted to break away from the pair on her flank. She rolled to the left and darted back into the forest. As she did so he noticed a glacier ahead, a wall of ice that looked even more imposing than he thought possible.

 

Just as she approached another ship throughout of the woods, this one however wasn’t like the others.

 

In moments the gray ships were shot down, falling to earth and exploding upon impact. Kate stared in confusion at the screen, “We are being hailed,” said Soval as he flicked the switch on the panel. Suddenly they were staring at the familiar Andorian.

 

“That’s four you owe me Soval!” snapped Shran.

 

~~vOv~~

 

Pain, it was burning every never ending and searing his very soul. There is only so much a person can take before they break. A pair of blue eyes opened, and stared unseeing into the blinding light above. The smell of blood and rotting flesh surrounded him, and the days seemed to blur. “Tell us what we want to know,” snapped an individual and a deep chuckle left the battered soul’s lips. “Go to hell,” he returned with a smirk. There was a growl and a harsh hand griped the man’s chin with force, as it directed his gaze toward it’s owner. His eyes fell on a pair of black eyes, filled with hatred.

 

“After you Stark, after you,” he spat as a harsh bowl landed across Nathanial’s abdomen. The Commander closed his eyes and welcomed the pain, there was no point in denying it, all he hoped was that he could withstand it long enough for his plan to work. “You need me,” he gasped as he took another blow to the stomach. “Oh?” asked the man before him, his black skin was wrapped around a heavily muscled body and his light red lips were twisted in a malicious grin.

 

Stark nodded before responding, “You need someone to break the inscription, that someone is me.” He had to survive. If he didn’t it would fail, they would all be dead and he couldn’t imagine it coming to end like that. “Why?” asked the man, “When I can have Dr. Nathan Stark do it?”

 

Kitty, Stark’s head whipped up and he stared in confusion, “What?” he asked. There were only two people who went by that name, one of them protected Stark and the other was a photographer. The man laughed as he stepped to the side, emerald green eyes widened as he watched the man turn the spotlight over his head off and Stark stared in shock. Lying in a gown, her skin nearly translucent was a man covered in wires, his hair was thick and he looked as though someone groomed him. “What the hell is this?” he asked as he stared at the numerous ports which covered the man. Nathan Stark was dead, the man was his ancestor.

 

The man laughed and replied, “This is your future Commander, and you’ll follow in his footsteps.” There was a silver headset on his head and he recognized it immediately, “You Tapped him? You fucking used a neuro-net and widget to TAPP him!” he shouted. He felt a pair of hands grab him and Stark panicked, he didn’t want that, he would be integrated. Instinctively he squirmed and attempted to push them away. “I’m certain your ancestor can do this, he was the designer of the warp core after all,” he jeered. His ancestor, the Nobel laureate and man who practically invented technology as they saw it was plugged into a wall and being used as a human processor.

 

It violated every right of humanity, and he wondered how it was even possible, of course IQ was genetic but in order to have this individual they would have to raise him in a similar environment. It was then he paused, a clone, they had stolen the DNA and made a clone to become the computer. Global Dynamics discontinued this practice and deemed it unethical, yet they had gotten their hands on the gear. He recognized it all from the storage units that were kept locked up in Oregon, “How?” he asked after a moment, that technology, it was supposed to be destroyed, he remembered blowing it up.

 

The man was about to reply when the doors swung open and he watched as someone walked in. “Victor,” sneered the man as he walked toward them, he was dressed in an impressive dark gray suit with a blue tie, his dark eyes fell on them and his head was shaved, he looked clean pressed much like the generals did. “Victor, I though I had informed you to alert me when the Commander woke?” he asked as he turned his attention to Commander Stark. He looked down his nose at Stark and hummed, “Commander, I see you have met the other Stark,” he said with amusement. Nathanial grit his teeth he wasn’t about to rise to the bait.

 

The man looked to Victor and remarked, “Not the talkative type?” Victor walked around Stark and slammed a baton into his back, causing the Commander to shout. “What do you want?” he asked. This made the man grin, “Revenge.” It was plain and simple, but Stark didn’t like this idea. If he only wanted revenge his ancestor wouldn’t be hooked up to a TAPP, he would be free. “Terra belongs to humans, aliens are destroying us, we can never unite with them,” he stated darkly.

 

“Who are you?” asked Stark as he looked at the man before him, and ignored Victor’s gaze entirely, he wasn’t the brains the man before him was.

 

“Paxton, John Frederick Paxton,” he replied. Now Stark was in trouble, he knew that name all too well and froze, “I know you’ve been working to undermine us, it wasn’t a good move.” His limbs were long and he stood before Stark confidently, his eyes were locked on him, and he felt as though he were becoming tangled in this mans’ web, he knew. Paxton knew who he was, what he had done and probably knew what he ws intending to do next. He was out gunned, out stripped in resources and in many ways at the disadvantage. Paxton slipped his hands into his pockets as he shrugged lazily, his broad shoulders lifting slight as he did so, his voice was practically sandpaper on his ears, “You know, Commander, it was a valiant effort, for years I had no idea, until one many gave you up in an attempt to keep his life. Too bad I knew he’d run back to you anyway,” he remarked with ease as he stared down at him.

 

He was finished, “You’re ancestor was like you, always looking to the stars,” he stated as he glanced over in Doctor Starks’ direction, “Always attempting to travel to space. You never think about the ramifications though,” his tone was dark and he could tell the man before him looked down upon their innovations. Innovations which had introduced the planet to the universe and ultimately an even brighter future, a galactic community they could belong in. “Tell me, how’s it feel to betray your own species?” he asked, “You’re a disgrace to humans. We don’t need that crap, we have done well enough on our own.”

 

Stark grit his teeth as he prepared to be struck only to feel a prick in his arm. “What?” he said in confusion, his tongue felt as though it were made of led and he stared in alarm at Paxton. “Don’t worry Commander, we need you without the headgear, but first we need to see how the drug works,” Paxton remarked.

 

Fire, it was in his veins, spreading, burning, searing his insides and Stark couldn’t take it, he threw his head back and screamed in agony. The pain was clouding everything and slowly he felt himself slipping, he prayed that he would fall unconscious, there he wouldn’t fell it. What ever had been in the needle was doing this, and he didn’t want to know who it was intended for. He just wanted it to end.


	13. In Darkness there is Truth

Silence is an unnerving entity, it heightens the senses and often individuates that there is something far greater amiss. The cold and harsh table that warm skin touched was unyielding and slowly the world fell back into place. There was a soft glow from the massive number of switches and lights in the walls, it was an eerie blue that made the room seem even more haunting. Green eyes were transfixed on the figured tied to the bed across the room. Ever so slowly the reality seemed to seep into these moments, he was so wrong, things were worse than he had ever realized. Fingers slowly moved as once heavy limbs finally obeyed the commands of their master, at some point the fires had receded, it was most likely after he had lost consciousness. Long gone was his suit, instead he was sitting in a white outfit made of cotton, the shirt and pants reminded him of the yoga clothing his girl friend used to wear.

 

Tentatively he tested his limbs in order to determine if he had been fettered to the bed. As he lifted his arms he realized that he was free to move about, but had a feeling this freedom was somehow limited. The commander slowly sat up, the world spinning slightly as he did so, which resulted in him closing his eyes and drawing a soothing breath. “Come on Nate,” he muttered as his fingers wrapped around the edge of the bunk. After a moment, the room stopped moving and the Commander pushed himself off the bed, his feet hitting the cold metal floor. He swept his fingers through his curly black hair and hesitantly began to walk over to the other man. His eyes swept over the all too familiar features of his Great Great Great Grandfather, he really did look just like the man who was considered the leader of technology. Only this man was paler than he had been and didn’t have a beard, they had shaved him and cropped his hair incredibly close to his head.

 

Green eyes swept over the numberous ports all over Doctor Stark’s body, he wondered if his ancestor even knew what year it was, just how far they had pushed him. He shivered as he looked at the prone form, TAPP, a device that even he did not dare to use. The door opened and he found himself staring at a doctor, he didn’t seem as menacing as the other individuals, but Stark took a step back. “You’re awake,” breathed the physician as he approached, he was varying a PADD. As she drew closer the Commander noted that the man had a large scar on one side of his face, a split lip and a fresh bruise against his cheekbone. Her skin was a soft golden color and she had a pair of full lips, that were a light pink, she didn’t appear the healthiest, yet she seemed to radiate comfort. They had sent her strategically.

 

Large dark brown eyes met his green ones and the she smiled a little, it wasn’t convincing, but he had a feeling the smile was more so for herself than him. “How are you feeling? Are you lightheaded? Disoriented? Any nausea?” she asked slowly as she stood before him, he noticed a scanner in her one hand and paused. Her thing fingers clutched the devise even harder, her knuckles turning white as she did so.

 

The doctor sighed as she slowly sagged, which made he look far more tired than she had before, “Look, could you just cooperate, I really don’t want to get hit by those assholes,” she said softly as she looked away. The Commander was cautious, he didn’t know her, and wasn’t sure if it was all a ploy or if this woman really was there at what appeared to be against her will. He crossed his arms and said, “Right because I’m going to trust a girl that looks the same age as a med student.” The young woman stiffened, her ink black hair falling over her shoulder and he noticed a dark purple bruise around her neck. “I don’t expect you to, just, help me out,” she said softly, she sounded defeated, nothing like a doctor should.

 

The Commander sighed before asking, “What’s your name?” The young woman was still and he watched her gaze shift to him in confusion. It baffled Stark, she had a name, he was well aware of that, all people did regardless of species. “Ahsan,” she replied hesitantly and immediately the Commander perked up, Hindi. Everyone he knew with terra prime was predominantly Caucasian, with a few exceptions. He had never met someone who was clearly Hindu be thrust into conflict willingly. “What does it mean? Your name,” he asked after a moment. The young woman slowly looked up at him in confusion; it was as though he were the first person to ever ask her. “It means compassion,” she replied.

 

She slowly slipped the scanner in her pocket and asked, “What is your name?” She sounded a little hesitant, and part of him wondered if what he was doing would result in more harm than good. “Nathanial,” he replied simply, leaving out his surname and rank, there was no point. He wasn’t on a base and currently was so far in over his head, that it was better for her to simply know his first name. “It means Gift of God in Hebrew,” he explained and she straightened. It was as though he had just said something offensive only to find her looking at him with genuine interest.

 

Her curious eyes flickered over him, he wasn’t sure if she was assessing him or checking for side affects of what ever they had pumped into him. “I want to do a scan to make sure what they gave you hasn’t done any damage, if you permit me,” she added the last part hesitantly, making him wonder if she had been struck over such a request. He nodded and slowly sat on the bunk he had managed to get off of. His eyes living her form, which was wrapped in a white lab coat and she wore black underneath, it was the most simple and dower look he had seen someone from such a colorful culture wear. He listened to the hum of the scanner and looked over to the bed across from him, his ancestor, in flesh and blood.

 

“There is no damage, you may feel nauseous but nothing too severe,” she stated as she lowered the scanner and slipped it into her coat. He nodded, “Thanks,” he said without making eye contact, his mind was reeling, if those were minimal side affects he didn’t want to know what the major ones may have been. She looked over to the man across from them and asked, “Do you know him?” she had noticed their similarities and he quirked his lips. He wasn’t going to tell her until he knew he could trust her, “Sort of,” he replied, it wasn’t a lie he did know him but in an odd way. She nodded before walking across the room, her shoes tapping against the floors as she pulled out her scanner, “He has been here for a very long time, long before I was taken,” she said and froze, “I was hired,” she amended. Taken, he knew the difference, she was a prisoner like him or at least that was the ruse.

 

She ran the scanner over him and he watched a wave of disgust come over her, “No one should live a life like this,” she said softly, “This is not life.” Stark nodded, he agreed it wasn’t and it was why he had worked to destroy the technology, “What does this even do?” she asked after a moment, “It’s not a life support system entirely, there is one here, however it wouldn’t need this many ports or the one at the back of his neck which allows access to the brainstem.” Stark pushed off the bed and stood across from her, she really didn’t know, and while he wasn’t going to tell her everything he knew, he was going to at least explain this. She was attempting to care for man, he would at least do this.

 

Nathan crossed his arms as he rocked back on his heels before responding, “It’s called a TAPP, or at least that’s what it was renamed in 2075 after it was commissioned by the pentagon for Project View,” he paused as his mind slipped back into the world of hell he had come to know. The world that he had been forced to hide from the world. He looked down at the helmeted that was attached to several key points of Doctor Stark’s head. “TAPP was a project that was originally called Neuro-Net, it was intended to create a database that mirrored the human mind, in an attempt to understand our brains,” he began, “However, it turned into something more. Once inside it was discovered that the technology allowed us to control aspects of the computer, in a sense become part of it, and control it.”

 

Stark paused as he looked over to Ashan, she was staring at him as though he had just said the impossible, even though it wasn’t. “The goal became to use it as a way to create the latest codes even faster than before by mirroring our neurological network and creating a version that was faster,” he replied, “It was the next step in processors, to create something with that kind of power would have resulted in an explosion in the industry.” It should have, if it weren’t for the military, he clenched his fist. “Then the military came in, and the technology that was designed to allow us to create a new world, and possibly understand ourselves, was transformed into something dangerous,” he began and closed his eyes.

 

Images of unwilling participants being strapped into chairs and forced to enter the machine were burned into his head. It was a lesson that he would never forget, never trust someone who states that they are doing something for the greater good. The silver chair was forever engrained in his memory, as were the screams of scientists who were lobotomized by over zealous generals. “It was transformed into TAPP, Tactical Amplification of Psychic Pathways,” he said bitterly, the words tasted sour on his tongue, and he felt rage boil under his skin. So many died, “The project continued for decades,” he whispered, “So many died due to its implementation, so many brilliant, and fantastic people.”

 

He paused as he gently touched his ancestor’s arm, the skin was slightly dry, no doubt from being unable to produce the normal oils that many did due to work and dietary consumption, since he was being kept alive on a feeding tube. Stark slowly held up his arm and rolled up the long white sleeve of the long sleeve tee he was dressed in. He turned his arm over, to display the thin line of flesh, just above the long blue veins of his arms was a string of numbers. The all too familiar block like letters and numbers that had been etched into his skin at the age of eight, the pain still fresh in his memory as well as the sound of the tattooing needle. Large black numbers stood out angrily against his skin, as well as a barcode, a reminder of just what he went through. A reminder of what humanity was like when allowed to break the most basics principles of ethics. That line of numbers with a barcode over top was a reminder, that at one point he wasn’t a boy but a lab rat.

 

Ashan’s eyes widened and he watched her lips part, she reached out slowly to touch it as though it didn’t exist, only to pull her hand back. “It’s an identification number used on those who were part of the experiment. I was one of 312 subjects in my age group, only 5 of us survived. The experiments didn’t end until,” he paused and licked his lips, “until Admiral Forrest had busted into the operation.”

 

He could remember that day, he was still a young child - 9 years old in fact - a child who had willingly put himself in the chair to save the four others, in total only 15 survived of the 673 subjects across the laboratories. The day he had first seen the Admiral and the day he knew he owed the man his life. “The others are in various positions, some in Starfleet and others working at research institutes,” he said after a moment. Ashan looked at him and asked hesitantly, “What does it do?” Nathanial stared at her before responding, “It makes the human brain into a part of the network, essentially a processor. The brain is the most powerful computer in the universe, and this allowed us to harness that power.” He knew why he was there, he knew that they had read his records and were well aware of his past experience with the technology. There were few left alive or willing to speak of it that would know about it.

 

Immediately the Commander began to wonder if one of the 5 had done this, or an administrator, if they had there was more going on than he thought before. Neurological technologies didn’t respond like regular technology and didn’t even appear to be similar in nature when compared to a traditional software program; it was something unique, fast and perhaps the most dangerous of them all. Ashan looked up and asked, “Isn’t it illegal?” Stark snorted as he fixed her with a glare, “Isn’t kidnapping? Or Murder? How about extortion?” he asked sharply. His tone was cold and harsh, however he couldn’t take it back, he was bitter and only now realizing the extremes this group was going to.

 

Yet, he also began to wonder what their intention was, to have such powerful technology and not use it wasn’t practical. It had to be used for something, and from the looks of it, it was extravagant. “Is he?” she asked hesitantly. Stark could tell she was trying to ascertain if he were comatose or unconscious, it was a strange state. He sighed as he replied, “Neither, he’s in limbo, it’s the only way to make it work. It’s similar to a meditative state, neither here nor there, always in the middle. His mind is working over time and if you look at a CT and do some mapping you can see it, however he isn’t aware of the outside world, it’s as though he’s sleeping.” He looked over the ports and noticed the all too familiar blue serum flooding his ancestor’s veins, “Is it natural?”

 

He stared at her, that was perhaps the dumbest question she had asked, then again he realized she didn’t know anything about this technology. “No, he’s being forced; it’s a compound of neurological suppressants and stimulants. The suppressants prevent the brain from realizing it’s asleep and the stimulants keep certain areas active, they have to sedate him to the lowest possible level,” he replied as he pointed to the blue line. He then gestured to a green one, the noxious compound was one he despised and had a feeling had inspired the serum that had caused the burning in his veins. “That line contains a synthetic compound that acts like liquid coolant in a building or shuttle craft. It lowers the temperature of the body to the lowest possible level, just above danger,” he explained, “Too hot, and damage is done, too cold and you kill him. Neurologically he’s running at least 500 miles per hour, which means his body is working to keep up with the impulses. As the chemicals cause duress, the temperature rises.” He could remember the scientists developing it, so many were lost due to both the creation of and absence of this compound.

 

Ashan was silent, he watched as she put the scanner away and looked at the bed as though the man in it had expired, it wasn’t a stretch, he really hadn’t been given a chance to live to begin with. “Does he know?” she asked and he was silent. That he didn’t know, when he had been forced into that chair he did, however he had a feeling the man before him had been hooked up to the bed so long that he had no idea that the world inside of it was fake.

 

“I don’t know,” he replied honestly.

 

How could he, not everyone had been nice enough to them and every day he would wake up and test to see if it were real. To see if the reality he was in was truly real, swearing to himself that he would never allow himself to be thrown into that place again. “I have to go,” she said softly as her eyes fell on a watch that was resting on her arm. He was half tempted to ask the time but realized it was pointless. “Do not leave this room,” she warned as she rushed out of the door, leaving him staring after her. He knew that the doctor was disturbed, but he wondered just how disturbed she was.

 

~~vOv~~

 

The flitter touched down as did the craft across from the slick silver ship that was owned by Stark. Kate opened the door and found herself standing beside Soval, who was wrapped in the thick coat and had put gloves on. His ears were covered with the hat and she could tell from how green his cheeks were that he was cold. The familiar sighed of the Andorian appeared once again as he slipped out of his flitter, it was more box like than theirs. Commander Shran was wearing the clothing of his home world and in those seconds she realized he was alone. It was unusual, she knew he had gone with a group. Her fingers instinctively hovered over her hip, Shran knew they were out there, and could have sent the ships.

 

The Andorian’s blue skin contrasted against the snow as he looked at Soval, “Who were those other ships?” he asked, not even bothering with formalities. The Vulcan drew a breath and responded, “We do not know, neither of us has come in contact with them before.” Shran huffed as he put his hands on his hips, his gaze falling to the snow under his boots as though it were the most fascinating thing to him. “What did the devise tell you?” asked Shran after a beat. Kate noticed the Ambassador reach into his robe and pull out a crystal plate, “This should work for you, I only added the information you would find relevant,” he explained.

 

Shran’s eyes narrowed as his antenna flickered back, he bared his teeth and hissed, “This isn’t a game Soval, give everything to us. If you do not know the ships, and the pink skin does, and I certainly don’t, than it’s safe to say that you are in trouble.” Soval folded his arms before him, a move she had seen him execute countless times. The only thing that was missing was the billowing sleeves of his ornate robes and the way he seemed larger than life in them. “You are not the only one affected and this information is dangerous, Vulcan will handle it, we were contacted,” he stated. This only caused Shran to scowl, his anger was nearly palpable. Instinctively, Kate had her phaser out of it’s holster and had stepped between Soval and Shran, her aim on Shran, with her back to Soval. Shran’s eyes widened and he held his hands up slowly, “I suggest you back away, and lower your voice before I resort to force in order to remove a threat,” she stated coolly, her voice was colder than the icy winds that were brushing through the trees.

 

She could feel the warmth of the Ambassador’s body on her back and his stare, she had a feeling he was irritated with her. However, Shran’s body language screamed threat. “Soval, you’ve acquired quite the pink skin, few would aim a phaser at me,” he mused. He slowly looked to her and took two steps back, Kate’s aim lowering a fraction. “Look Major, I’ll calm down, but if those ships were anything, this means you’re in way over your head and as much as you hate to admit it,” he began, “We need to be friends,” he said as he gestured between the three of them with his hand.

 

Kate didn’t release her grip on the phaser and asked, “Why should we trust you?” Shran was silent and the wind licked her skin, she kept her aim on his chest, intending to fire if he threatened the Ambassador again. “Because,” Shran began only to fall silent, he was looking for an excuse. It was then Soval stepped past her and placed a hand on top of the phaser gently lowering it away from Shran. Her eyes widened as she glared at him, only to meet a pair of oddly gentle dark eyes, his expression was blank, yet his eyes said so many other things. There was understanding, confidence, trust and oddly something else, pain. Her blue eyes widened as she watched all the emotions vanish from view, as he maintained eye contact with her, “Something Admiral Forrest used to say, ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend,’” he stated.

 

Kate’s arms lowered and she stared, that was an old quote from a book she had given her father. She hadn’t expected him to use it, let alone for Soval to have learned it. Part of her wondered just how much this Vulcan knew about her father. He had saved him from Terra Prime, he had been beside him since the start. Soval, not the Ambassador, but it was Soval who had saved him, Soval who carried his casket, Soval who had wished her better, and Soval who had showed her his scars. He wasn’t the Ambassador for those events, and she knew that now. She had realized that over the past two days, that she wasn’t in the company of an Ambassador, she was in the company of a single Vulcan with a strong sense of duty and a dose of logic.

 

He trusted her, he had when she brought them to the North and again when she flew the shuttle. If he trusted her, she would have to trust him. She felt her shoulders relax, Soval trusted Shran, and if the Ambassador of Vulcan could trust this Andorian Commander, than she would have no choice but to defer to his judgment. She loosened her fingers and nodded to him, yet his hand remained on the phaser.

 

Soval removed his hand and turned his attention to Shran, “I can not give you the rest, I have to find a way to get it off the devise, what little I managed was of great importance to you,” he explained. The Andorian looked at him with a hint of understanding, as he allowed his hands to fall to his sides. “Okay, we need to view the information, and I’ll see if I can get it to our Ambassador, in the mean time I suggest we open those ships, Major,” said Shran. Kate looked to Soval and then to the Commander, she didn’t like the idea of leaving Soval in the open and cold, it would only add to the complications they were facing.

 

She held her hand out for pause, as she said, “Commander, we need to get the Ambassador to safety.” She was trained to protect the Ambassador everyone else would wait, it was her duty to ensure his safety. Soval looked to her, his dark eyes contained a spark of what appeared to be curiosity. “Major, I will be safe, we need to know who sent the ships and gain an understanding as to how many more there might be,” he replied. It made sense but something in Kate’s head told her to get the Ambassador to safety, that this wasn’t a good idea. Yet, Soval wanted to know, which meant she had no choice but to join the Andorain. “Fine,” she said after a moment, as she pulled her phaser once more, “I don’t want to be caught without, especially if these guys are armed,” she stated.

 

The pair walked across the clearing to the fallen gray box, Soval was behind her by several paces, she could tell he was just as keen on learning its contents. She slipped her gloves off and skimmed her fingers across the outside, it was smooth, and she couldn’t even feel the seams between the plates, which meant someone had taken a great deal of time to seal them. It wasn’t perfect, the metal still had bumps and rough patches, but made locating the hatch more of a challenge. Shran walked around to the other side, and called, “Major!” Kate quickly rounded the ship with her phaser out and whipped around to see the door that Shran had located.

 

Her heart was pounding as she watched Shran pull out his weapon and aim it at the door. Every cell in her body was on alert as the looked to the door, there wasn’t a release, which meant they would have to cut through it. She squeezed the trigger and began to cut through the metal, Shran followed suit. The scent of molten metal filled the air and the heat from the beam slicing through the door was scathing. There was a crack and Kate looked over to see Soval standing near her, his dark eyes were locked on the bright orange glow of the phasers cutting through the door. Shran moved to the bottom of the ship and she did the same, they were about to walk over to the newly cut door when it fell and landed on the snow with a loud bang. The inside of the ship was bathed in red light, lights were flashing and she heard several alarms ring in her ears.

 

Kate’s MACO training took over as she stepped inside the ship and swept it for anyone left alive. As she looked around she noticed the configuration of the consuls, it certainly wasn’t Starfleet issue. “What?” she asked as she looked at the language that sprawled across them. She squinted, it looked like Vulcan, “Huh?” she murmured as she holstered her phaser and shouted, “CLEAR!” her eyes fell on the pilots of the craft, they were wearing thick hats and coats, they had clearly been attempting to blend in. Kate stood before one of them, her eyes fell on his still face, eyes staring blankly out the screen, there was blood on his coat. The pair were dead, she had a feeling it was from the blast that had shattered the window of the shuttle, it wasn’t much of a surprise, but part of her had hoped that one was alive enough to interrogate. She would just have to ransack the compartment for clues.

 

Shran stepped into the craft with heavy feet, his footsteps were so heavy she thought he would fall through the floor. Kate looked over to the Andorian who looked confused and she could tell he was wondering what he had done to annoy her. Standing behind the confused Andorian was the Vulcan Ambassador, his movements were graceful and she hadn’t heard him step into the craft. Calculating dark eyes swept over the consuls as he took a step further into the craft. “This isn’t human,” remarked Shran as he looked at one of the panels.

 

Kate’s fingers slipped into the beanie on one of the dead pilot’s heads, the red lights made it difficult to discern colors but she knew they were dead based on the blood that coated the crew’s clothing. She pulled the Bennie off and stared, “Their not,” she said quickly as she looked at the ridges on the man’s forehead and pointed ears, he had winged eyebrows. Kate drew her fingers away and looked closer at them, their blood was green, copper based, but they looked nothing like the other Vulcan’s she had seen.

 

She snapped her attention to Soval who was standing stiffly, he looked confused for a second and she watched it disappear, his posture was so stiff she wondered if he had tied a stick to his back at one point. “They are Romulans,” replied Soval. Something snapped across the room and Kate noticed Shran look pale and turn to Soval. The remnants of what looked like a communicator slipped through his fingers and fell onto the floor. “Romulans? Here, on Earth?” he asked in a rush. Soval nodded as he closed his eyes, he looked as though he were attempting to control an unbidden force, she realized it was his emotions. “Yes,” replied Soval, his tone was empty but she could tell he was forcing himself to be emotionless.

 

They had to be bad news if the Ambassador was keeping a tight leash on his temper. Kate looked at the pair only to realize they both were unhappy at this development, “Who are they and why do they look like Vulcans?” she asked rapidly in an attempt to understand just what was occurring. Shran looked to Soval expectantly and she realized of all the people present he would be the one with the answers. “Soval,” she said sternly, not caring about rank at that moment.

 

Soval drew a breath and replied, “They are trouble, which would explain a few events as of late.” Kate’s eyes narrowed he was evading the subject and just as she was about to call him out she watched him slowly walk over to a console and began hitting several screens, they opened with ease. She stared, she didn’t even know what a Romulan was and he was able to use one of their ships. He then looked to Shran and said stiffly, “What I’m about to tell the both of you is very,” he paused as he looked for the right word, “Sensitive. Do not tell your people.” The sincerity in his voice caused Kate to slowly knee beside him, her blue eyes searching his face, it was then she noticed the way his nostrils flared and the lines around his eyes, a micro expression was her only way to telling what he was thinking. He was distressed, “Okay, we won’t say a word, will we Shran?” she asked as she glared at him.

 

Apparently the Andorian knew when to behave because he nodded and leaned against the console he was near. Soval looked to Kate and began, “The reason that Vulcans and Romulans appear similar is that we have a common ancestor. The difference is in small differences in appearance but the major difference in culture,” he looked at Kate for a moment and asked, “How much has Suran taught you about my people?” Her eyes lit up, although she was slightly confused, the question had its place but where it was in their current conversation didn’t make sense to her. “Well, you were once a war like people, until Surak, then your people turned to logic, a way to control your emotions to keep yourselves from tearing society apart,” she stated.

 

Soval gave a stiff nod and then swept his fingers over the console, “The difference is that Romulans did not turn to logic, their emotions rule them. They are not like humans who have a certain amount of control. Romulans are violent, paranoid, and brash, they are not one for planning,” he explained. A snort was heard from Shran and Kate looked over at the blue skinned alien inquisitively. He crossed his arms and responded, “I’ve dealt with them before, and strictly between us, I prefer the Vulcans. At least I know where they stand. Romulans, you never know and that’s scary with how violent they are.” Shran knew about Romulans and from what she was being told it wasn’t good.

 

The Ambassador sat stiffly before continuing, “Romulans are not bad, they are emotional, to the extremes. They are from a portion of Vulcans who rejected the teaching of Surak. They are a militaristic society, which is known for xenophobic tendencies.” Kate listened intently only to realize that was all Soval was going to say. She looked to Soval and asked after a pause, “Just how are they trouble?” The Vulcan before her lifted a brow and responded, “They are xenophobic and unlike us, who will work with you, they wish to destroy you. Romulans conquer species; they do not ally themselves with them.”

 

There was the issue and Kate stared at him, that wasn’t good, now she understood the look of shock in Shran’s eyes and now Soval’s closed off behavior. “Okay, we need to contact the Ambassadors and the Admirals,” she said quickly and Shran laughed. The sound was irritating, mocking in nature, and it was then she realized just how insane she sounded. Contact the people who probably were behind some of these issues, she hung her head and sighed, this wasn’t easy. The only other people she knew she could trust were either in Space, light years away on the Enterprise, or in San Francisco dealing with the Collation, a team of two. Two people plus the crew of the Enterprise wasn’t enough, they were going to need an army if these people were as bad as Soval and Shran feared. She looked to Soval and then Shran, one of them had to have an idea, if Stark was already dead her only other option was trying to find Jobe, and that was like finding a needle in a haystack, not to mention that he was probably going to refuse.

 

“Any ideas?” she asked as she attempted to think of people she could trust, Amanda was the only other person, as well as Suran. Archer, T’Pol, Trip, Malcolm, Phlox, Hoshi and Travis were all on the Enterprise, they wouldn’t be able to reach them in time, not to mention it was one ship, something told her it would never be enough to defeat them. She had seen Soval’s anger, at least a small degree of it, and knew that if these were cousins of the Vulcans that their rage would probably be even more violent without Surak.

 

Soval was quiet and Shran said, “I need to inform the Imperial Guard, if there are Romulans on Earth, who knows where else they have been.” Kate froze and stared wide eyed, that was it, and it was so simple, so brilliantly simple, that she nearly missed it. It was in front of her face and she nearly overlooked everything. “Shran you’re a genius,” she stated as she clapped her hands together, causing the Commander to smile. “Of course I am,” he said with pride only to pause and asked, “Now why am I a genius?” Kate ignored him and turned her attention to the Ambassador, who looked doubtful about her proclamation of Shran’s intelligence, she wasn’t sure if he had found insult or amusement in it. Either way he still looked a little curious.

 

She then looked to Soval, “You can read Romulan,” she stated. The Ambassador quirked a brow, she knew she was stating a fact and looked at the screen, “Do you think it’s possible that they are responsible for the signal?” Her crystal clear blue eyes bore into dark chocolate browns, she watched as he contemplated this for a moment. He looked to the console and then to her, “It is possible.” He said after a pause and quickly turned to the console. Shran stumbled over to them and asked, “Seriously, Major,” he said and Kate held her hand up, “Call me Kate,” she said off handedly as she looked at the Ambassador and then to the keys he was tapping.

 

She leaned over his shoulder and watched the characters flicker across the screen, it seemed familiar, but then again they were related to Vulcans so the syntax was probably a little different. The Ambassador continued, “This ship isn’t built for space travel, so there has to be a larger ship somewhere,” Kate mused. Shran jumped to attention and looked at the pair, she was right all three of the ships weren’t equipped for distance. “That means that they have a connection to the larger carrier, so there has to be a larger interstellar vessel present to transport them,” said Shran immediately understanding what she was thinking.

 

Soval continued to flicker through pages only to come to a stop, “I have the ship identification number, it’s registered as a freighter vessel,” he said. Kate shook her head, it wasn’t, it had to be more upscale, those pods were advanced and not something that belonged to a C class freighter. “It’s fake,” she said in a flash, “do you think the routing address is?” she asked. The silver haired Vulcan quickly opened the link and replied, “No, it is not,” he stated as he began to access various portions of it. There’s a lot in here, and it’s not organized.” Kate could tell by looking at it, either they weren’t good at file management or it was their natural defense, confuse the hacker. She was going to go for the later, there were no benefits to mixing the files up and without a search command they would never find it.

 

Her eyes narrowed and she asked, “What’s that?” as she pointed to a glyph at the top of the screen. “Nothing important, it’s their linguistics database,” he stated. Kate hummed as she crossed her arms, linguistics and signals were similar, “Soval select it,” she said and the Ambassador stared at her. She looked over to Shran who clearly was just as confused, “You said they were paranoid, if I was paranoid I would put it there, it’s the last place anyone would look, no one wants to steal a linguistics database, unless it belongs to the Enterprise or Vulcans.”

 

The Ambassador hit the emblem and Shran remarked, “That actually makes sense, why don’t all pink skins think like you?” Kate shrugged, she didn’t have an answer for him. She just knew how to hide things. Soval was scrolling through when he pointed to a series of terminals, “These have nothing to do with languages, I can’t access them, we are being cut off from the terminal,” he said quickly. Kate stared in confusion until she noticed a message flashing across the screen. “You don’t think they realized we’re here did they?” she asked.

 

“Oh they did, and they sent a welcoming party,” Shran stated as he pointed out the window. Kate’s eyes widened as she watched three more gray boxes appear, “Fuck!” she snapped as she grabbed Soval by his wrist and pulled him up, “Time to go,” she snapped. Shran was out of the compartment first, just as he did so several shots were fired. Kate heard a snap and she looked over to see Shran’s transport was demolished. “Great,” he groaned. Kate looked to Stark’s craft, “Come on, Shran!” she shouted, she would just have to make it work.

 

Shran ran beside them and at some point Soval had slipped from her hold and was jumping into the shuttle. Shran immediately followed as Kate got into the piloting seat. He stared at her, she was slipping a microphone into her ear and said, “Systems go, connect to Spear.” Shran jumped in a seat in the back and she listened to the line flitter through. “Hang on, I don’t have time to make this as smooth,” she shouted as she turned the engines up. She just had to get into a more congested area, if she could get lost in traffic they were safe. “Is this really fast enough?” asked Shran, he sounded skeptical, until Kate quickly turned all thrusters on and shot forward. Her hands were wrapped around the controls and she noticed Shran was staring at her.

 

“Don’t knock my ride,” she threatened as she flew through he trees, dodging them and weaving through them in an attempt to get away. The ship handed with the same agile grace as it had when she had first taken off, all in an attempt to escape these three pods.

 

~~vOv~~

 

Diplomacy was said to get a species only so far, and in some ways the statement was true. Years of diplomatic talks had done little to ease the tension between the Andorian’s and Vulcans, and with the recent turn of events, nearly ever member of the Coalition was afraid of what the Vulcans had planned. Only the Denobulans had moved to aid them, then again Ambassador Kessil was well aware that her only ally in this arena was Vulcan, the others were uninterested in the involvement of Denobula, aside from their knowledge of medicine. Vulcans were scientific and keen on exploring the universe with this in mind, making the alliance a stable one. At least it appeared to be in that moment.

 

Suran drew a deep breath, the scent of incense surrounded him as he sat on the floor of the Ambassador’s office, he needed to meditate. All of the events had transpired at once, not only was T’Pau and Skon’s son, Sarek on the _Enterprise_ with T’Pol and Archer, but he had stolen a ship. Not just any ship, but a prototype developed by the VSA, one of the fastest crafted, only to have it destroyed. In a sense Sarek had committed a felony and from what he was being told no one, other than the Vulcan in question, knew why. He would have been granted access if he had requested it, and yet, he didn’t instead he stole it with a small crew. It didn’t make sense, it wasn’t logical, the only reason to take a ship so quickly was that time was of the essence, yet there wasn’t a single indication that this was so.

 

Another breath, it was supposed to bring clarity, and yet all it brought was confusion. Suran’s brow furrowed, the events at the meeting had been enlightening to say the least. He closed his eyes and drew a breath before allowing himself to fall into the memory, the room reappeared in his mind and he could make out every detail from the wrinkles on the Telerites to the rather nervous expression Kessil had given him.

 

He was standing before them in his garb, as an aid.

 

 _He wasn’t the Ambassador and yet he_ _had stepped into the forum on behalf of the Ambassador, which was unheard of. At no point in time was the aide supposed to speak on behalf of the Ambassador, unless otherwise instructed. Yet, he had done so and knew that there were probably a series of messages in his inbox from the High Council demanding an explanation, for which he was not authorized to give._

_The room was silent upon his entry, they had not anticipated his arrival, that much was clear. Even the Andorians had fallen still as he had entered with T’Vok. He looked over the group before him and drew a measure of fortitude, praying it would be enough to keep Vulcan in the Coalition. The violently bright synthetic lights bathed the room in a sickening blue green hue, making them seem even more uncomfortable and oddly inanimate. He could sense their displeasure at his appearance, and decided it was then an there he would defend Soval, not Vulcan, but the man he had agreed to aid. He swept away from the Ambassador’s seat, “Suran?” asked T’Vok in confusion, which only added to the unease in the room as he swept from his seat and stood in the middle of the large circular table, at the paramount of attention for all to see his truth. He was Vulcan, and to lie wasn’t in his nature, yet at this time he would do what he was able to, in order to protect those he served and cared for._

_He held his head high as he began, “It has come to our attention that the Coalition does not trust Vulcan,” he stated, “This distrust has been caused by a great deal of events that have transpired, not only involving Vulcan but also the resent attacks.” There was silence in the room and he watched as every member sat at the edge of their seats, raptly listening. “We have no intention to deceive you, nor to destroy you. We seek peace, and harmony, as all of you do,” he stated. His eyes fell on the members of the room and he watched as hatred swirled in their eyes. He was losing this fight, he had to hold on if they were to survive this. He looked over to the Andorian Ambassador and noted a sneer on his lips, the distrust between their races was legendary. “He lies!” shouted the Andorian, knocking Suran out of his element._

_The room erupted in a murmur, and Suran realized he was going to lose, “I am a Vulcan and we do not lie, it is illogical,” he stated rapidly. Immediately he regretted those words, it was a misstep Osu would have never made, and one he should not have. “In no way do we desire to harm you, any of you, we desire unity. There are more powerful forces at work, those which wish to harm us,” he stated only for the Tellarite to snap to attention, he was on his feet within moments._

_His small dark eyes were fixed on Suran and his snout wrinkled with disdain, “You say you are not violent, your past argues otherwise! You have an entire armada that is three times the size it had once been!” snapped the Ambassador. Suran was still, he had noted the extension of their forces but didn’t realize it had grown so greatly. With the attacks Vulcan was preparing to protect herself, “We only desire to protect our people and those who are our allies,” he stated simply. There was a snarl from the Andorian and he watched as the rest of the room was swayed, “You claim this, but your actions speak otherwise! You have violated our treaties and worse the Ambassador isn’t present! Where is Soval? Doesn’t he know it is dishonorable to send and Aid to do his dirty work!” the words were harsh and sharp like knives. The result was an unstoppable murmur that swirled through the room, only creating more discord. Suran looked to T’Vok, she appeared to be just as lost as he was._

_Suran fell silent as madness unfolded before him, it was illogical, yet he remained silent. His eyes falling on Kessil who had looked at him with pity, of all the emotions in her possession, he wasn’t sure if it was for him personally or the fact that Soval was now in a worse position than before._

His eyes swept over her shoulder to not a small form, one that was too small to be an adult of any species that would be present. He slowly approached the form and noted it was a child, of what species he was uncertain. There was something off, something that didn’t belong. Just as he drew closer to it, he was yanked back to the surface, his lungs and mind protesting at the same time. He gasped as he fell from his meditation, his vision cleared to find himself facing Amanda. Her lips moved yet he didn’t hear anything, his senses came back and he found himself being grabbed by the arms. “Suran!” she called and he blinked as he finally came back to himself. He had gone farther than he had anticipated when examining the memory.

 

“Major?” he asked curiously as she knelt before him. Her dark eyes were boring into him as she said, “They are back, and there has been another message.” Suran nodded as he got up off the floor and adjusted his robes, he had made their stance worse and now he was overdue to stand before Soval. With grace he was walking with Amanda, the MACCO seemed tense and he wondered what the message had said, after the incident at Starfleet he had been expecting a great deal of damage to be done. It was unfortunate that she was without a PADD, but it’s absence from the closet had reduced any and all possibility that she had been noticed, and with the cameras out there was little that could be done to frame her for the event, which he was certain would have occurred if the cameras were active.

 

He left the consulate and realized then that he was taking Amada into the privet residence of Soval. “I know, Suran, I just want to make sure she is alright,” said Amanda softly. It was odd how she was able to tell what he had been thinking, then again they were both highly concerned for the pair. Over the past few months he had seen Kate as a daughter as opposed to a protector, she was young and had a vivid mind, one he hoped one day wouldn’t harm her as much as it had been. They entered the residence only for him to come face to face with the familiar blue skin of Commander Shran. “Oh great! Another Vulcan!” he snapped. Suran arched a brow as he entered the room and looked to Soval and Kate. “Wouldn’t it be logical for there to be Vulcan’s at the Vulcan consulate?” he asked. Kate chuckled and he looked to her curiously, “Think of it this way Shran, who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb?” she asked.

 

This earned a confused glance from Soval, Shran and himself, “One would assume Grant, now what is the relevance of your question?” he replied. Kate shook her head and replied, “No one,” only for Amanda to clutch her sides and laugh hysterically. That earned several confused looks, and Kate was grinning with glee, “They are entombed there,” she said simply. Suran blinked and in that moment he truly did not understand how it was amusing. He failed to see the relevance to this situation for they were not currently entombed, “How is this relevant?” asked Soval after a moment. Kate sighed and shook her head as she slipped her hair behind her ear. It was a movement that he didn’t see often since she usually had it up and out of her face. “Never mind,” she said slightly crest fallen. He would have to speak with one of the cultural advisors later and attempt to understand it so he would be able to answer Soval’s inevitable question later.

 

Kate was stepping out of her boots and he noticed how she seemed to move stiffly. Soval’s eyes lingered on her for a moment when she waivered as she slipped her feet out of her boots. Suran paused and looked at her, his gray eyes sweeping over her form and then Soval’s. He tilted his head and wondered for a moment just what had occurred in the Yukon. Not only was Shran with them, but the pair were acting closer than they had before. Kate stood before Suran, her toes curling into the carpet, “Suran,” she stated causing him to turn his attention to her. Slender fingers reached into her bag and pulled out a black pyramid as well as the diamond, “I need you to translate these files into something we can use, speak to the head of the technological department,” she stated. Suran collected the items and examined them, they did not seem like much but he had learned with humans to never underestimate their technology. His attention shifted to Shran and he wondered why the Andorian was present.

 

There was a rustle as Soval pulled a scanner out of his bag, he watched the Ambassador keenly as he synchronized the devise to his PADD. Kate looked over his shoulder and he noticed Shran was also attempting to get a look. “Any idea on the vessel type? They weren’t anything like the Romulan’s vessel’s I’ve seen,” stated Shran. Romulans, they had stated Romulans were present it would explain the chaos. Suran collected the pyramid as well as the necklace and wondered how he would get the data off of it, he hadn’t noted a port. Kate sighed as she shrugged out of the leather jacket and slowly unpinned her hair. It fell over her shoulders in waves and she closed her eyes as she took a deep breath.

 

Soval’s dark eyes held a spark, it was vivid, and gave him new life, something he hadn’t seen since his wife’s passing. Suran watched curiously as the Ambassador attempted to hide this, he was battling himself and that was never good. He would rather listen to the Ambassador’s concerns than to watch him retreat, then again, Soval was never one for verbal aid. He then looked to Shran who was openly admiring her, his lips twisted downward slightly, he would have to speak with the Andorian, as far as he was concerned the Ambassador’s happiness came over his. Kate opened her eyes and continued, “Well we have images, and the info from the pyramid, now we just have to figure out how the hell we can get them,” she said as she placed her hands on her hips and looked at the table before her.

 

He could tell she was attempting to piece together a plan that would be clever enough that no one would pick up on. “If only I could figure out the code used to break into our computers, and why I couldn’t catch him,” she grumbled, “If I can trace it to source I would have a culprit.” Soval paused for a moment before asking, “Vocal recognition software?” Kate looked at him and shook her head, “It can be dismissed as falsified with how advanced tech is, I could create an entire conversation between you and Shran over the winner of the Next Earth Idol, and no one would question it,” she stated. There was a recording on the device which made him wonder what kind of information was on this diamond. Shran crossed his arms and asked, “Then how do we know that he’s involved?”

 

The blonde looked to Shran and replied, “Instinct, he’s the only one that could pull this off, or at least infiltrate to this point. I have no idea who’s messing with the Vulcans.” Suran paused and looked to the Ambassador for confirmation, Vulcan wasn’t ready for such chaos, they were still highly impacted by news he had yet to deliver to them. If there was someone on Vulcan working for the Romulans they could lose more than an alliance but their home world as well. “You had stated that we have a stake in this, pink skin,” said Shran as he slowly walked around the table, his eyes never leaving Kate.

 

Yet, she didn’t waiver, she stood firm. Her blue eyes were defiant and unfazed by his advance. “You do, they are pinning Vulcans against Andorains, no one else can really harm you, except the Klingons and they are too busy dealing with a shift in power,” she stated, “if you destroy each other, there is no one left to protect the other planets. Earth may desire to be the peace keeper but we are in no position to do so.” Suran was silent, as he listened to her logic and tone. She left them no room to question her authority, there wasn’t an argument to be had, and in that moment she sounded just like her father. Shran paled, “They want to destroy not only us but Earth, if we wage war against one another we will tear apart not only our own worlds but every last one of the ones around us,” he said softly.

 

The realization fell on the room, and Suran paused, a war with Andoria was not in the cards. Soval had been working to prevent it, and now they were learning neither party had caused it, it was caused by someone manipulating them. “What else is there to gain from Vulcan and Andoria entering war?” she asked. Kate looked at the pair as the Ambassador replied, “Several planets where the colonies occupy, vast trade routes, and even technology if they scavenge ships.” Kate hummed as she walked over to the window, she crossed her arms and leaned in the frame, Amanda had been silent before adding, “Stripping ships would be easier, and without the Vulcan’s a lot more laws could be broken, and they wouldn’t have to worry about the Andorian’s either.” Kate shook her head and he watched her eyes slip over the view outside.

 

“You’re all wrong,” she said softly as she looked to Soval. There was silence between the two as the Ambassador stated, “It would destroy any hopes of a Federation and cripple this galaxy allowing for the Romulans to make a move, that way they would only have to battle the Klingons.” Kate nodded and Suran realized this was perhaps their worst nightmare, this would mean that the Klingons and Romulans might have a temporary truce and if that was so, then things had just become even more dangerous. Shran sank into a chair and asked, “Soval, you got any liquor?” It was the first time Shran had used Soval, as apposed to Ambassador, and oddly Soval didn’t care as he walked over to the sideboard and pulled out a bottle of Vulcan Port.

 

There was a pop as the cork was pulled free and the scent filled the room, as the Ambassador poured the precious golden liquid into a glass for the Andorian. Soval presented it to Shran who took it gratefully and quickly began sipping it. The tension in his features seemed to fade with each sip of the burning liquid. Shran looked to them and said, “If this is true, we need to inform the Ambassador, he doesn’t know this and we could have a massive war on our hands.”

 

It was at this time Suran stepped forward, “Osu, there have been several issues, the first being that the Andorian’s have moved to have us removed from the Coalition,” he stated firmly. Kate paled and she clearly understood the implications of Vulcan being excluded. If Vulcan wasn’t included there would be even more issues facing them. Vulcan was the logical anchor of the group and without said logic she could only imagine how far they would be swept away into emotional and irrational decisions. Soval’s nostrils flared and he watched as he clasped his hands behind his back, he was still dressed in the black sweater and dark pants. “Upon what grounds?” he asked, his voice was cool, it was only because he had worked with the Ambassador for so long that he could hear is veiled irritation. She watched Suran turn to Amanda, who stated, “Violation of trade agreements and 57 counts of an act of aggression against another member.”

 

Kate was still and a look of shock and confusion appeared on her face, 57 counts, that was a great deal higher than the original number, and the sheer rate of occurrence was enough to make him question who was behind it. Soval’s eyes were filled with fire, the same fire she had seen so long ago, the first time he had met his wife and the very first time he had sided with Admiral Forrest. It had been a long time since such fires burned in those dark eyes. Suran looked to Kate and idly wondered what she had done to revive him.

 

“I demand to see the data,” he stated, “I will not have Vulcan accused of acts it has not committed.” Kate watched as Amanda passed him a black PADD, it was probably Suran’s. She looked over his shoulder, “They’re the same,” she said immediately. Soval nodded and access the program she had created, like the rest they snapped in place.

 

Shran was staring at them in confusion, his antenna flickered to the sides as he asked, “What’s the same?” his brow furrowed. Kate looked to Soval before pulling her own PADD out of her pack, Soval shared the data and she held it out to Shran. “Look,” she stated. Shran took the PADD, his glare was heavy until he turned his attention to the data, the information before him was their evidence that Vulcan didn’t do it. “I don’t get it,” he said. Kate drew a breath and stated, “It’s a perfect match, which is impossible, there will always be deviation between ships and arrays, this signal is perfect. There isn’t’ a single fault, it’s a textbook recording of a prime Vulcan ship.”

 

Realization dawned upon the Commander as he stated, “Making it impossible, which means the readings are fake,” he paused as he looked at the screen, “If you present this to the Coalition it wouldn’t be enough, you will have to bring in the responsible party.” Kate knew this, she had hoped it would be enough to at least stop the Andorians, “I know, but would it stop the Imperial Guard?” she asked. Shran shook his head, his expression twisting into a grimace as he handed the PADD to her. “What?” she asked, her voice elevated and tight. Shran had just seen what they did and as Suran feared he too have come to the same conclusion, it wasn’t enough.

 

Her fingers danced across the screen and she explained, “I’m sending it to the Enterprise, Hoshi can give it to Captain Archer and Commander T’Pol.”

 

The Andorian held up two blue hands in submission, “It’s not that I don’t believe you, but if what you’re telling me is true, they won’t see that as sufficient, they will say you faked it. I know you didn’t,” he stated. Kate tilted her head, how he knew they didn’t confused her only to watch Shran lower his hands and slip them into his pockets, it was an oddly human gesture for him as he looked at the table. His gaze was distant, “Soval, I know you will not lie, not with what we have been through together keeping our people from war,” he paused and looked to Kate, his eyes were softer, and she noticed the sorrow in them. He drew a deep breath, “I never met your father, Major Forrest,” Kate stared at him, Shran had heard of him, “however, from what I know of him, he was the fairest and most honest of the Admirals, traits which he has instilled in you.”

 

There was silence in the room and Kate crossed her arms, she wondered how far her father’s reputation stretched. “How do you know?” she asked after a moment, genuine curiosity winning out in the end. Shran looked into her blue eyes and replied, “Because Soval would never have allowed you to protect him if you were not, nor would he stand up for you.” Blue eyes flickered to the Ambassador, his posture was stiff and he looked placid, he had learned that even though his expression was still the mind underneath was usually teaming with thoughts.

 

“We have another problem,” said Amanda after a moment, which drew everyone to her. Suddenly the room’s attention was on her brunet best friend, and from the expression on Amanda’s face Kate knew this wasn’t good. In fact, it might be even worse than nearly loosing a place in the Coalition. “Not only have there been more attacks, but there was a murder at Starfleet as the Ambassadors were meeting. Suran had gone in an attempt to quell the dispute and ensure Vulcan’s place. I was going to call you, when Archer interrupted, anyway, I ended up in a storage closet and someone was shot with a phaser outside of it,” she summarized, Kate looked closed off and an expression of professionalism appeared on her face, aging her. It was hard and a reminder of the woman that she was, the warrior.  

 

Kate sobered at the mention of murder and looked to Soval, “Security response?”

 

“None,” she said darkly.

 

 Kate snapped to attention as did Soval and Shran, they stared at her. “WHAT?” shouted Kate, her voice echoing off the walls, he could tell her anger was spreading like fire and his eyes widened, he had never seen her in this state. That was unacceptable there were diplomats of other worlds on the premises. “Conveniently the security system was offline after the unofficial meeting had been called,” she explained.

 

Soval and Kate looked to one another, “Terra Prime,” she whispered as he nodded in affirmation. He did not recognize the name, however, from the very way Soval and Kate acted he could tell they weren’t good. The organization probably was at the root of most of this chaos, but he wondered how much and just who they were. Kate waivered once more and clutched her head, her eyes seemed to droop and he noticed an unmistakable stiffness in her posture, she was exhausted but attempting to remain conscious. He was going to reach for her when Soval did the unthinkable.

 

The Ambassador wrapped an arm around her midsection and asked, “Katharine?” Suran stared in shock, he had used her first name, he never did, she was always Major Forrest. “Sorry, I’m more tired than I thought,” she mumbled, if it wasn’t for his hearing he wouldn’t have noticed it. Soval’s touch was light and he watched as the Ambassador guided her to the sofa. She shivered slightly and Suran wondered if she was alright, something was off as he watched the blonde slowly fall into the sofa. There was a hint of alarm in Amanda’s eyes and he watched as Soval adjusted a pillow for her head. He left the room for a moment only to return with a thick plum blanket, it was one from his study for cold nights. “Soval,” she said in confusion as he draped the blanket over her.

 

The Ambassador shot a threatening glare to Shran before saying, “Sleep, we will be in the study.” It was odd for him to do this, the logical move would have been to send her to bed, only then did he remember who they were dealing with. She wouldn’t, having her sleep on the sofa was the closest thing to getting her to rest as they could get. Kate closed her eyes and snuggled into the blanket, Suran knew it smelled of the Ambassador, he had seen the Vulcan wrapped in it on many occasions when he had slipped outside to gaze at the stars. He never questioned this practice, he knew Soval was far from home, as he was and from time to time he had looked up at the sky of earth and searched for the stars that indicated his home.

 

“Follow me,” he whispered as he lead them to his privet study. Shran followed, carrying the glass and snagging the bottle of Port along the way. Obviously he felt the need to drink, and Suran wondered if Amanda did as well. The doors of the study closed behind them and she watched as Soval looked at them. “Terra Prime, is a terrorist organization who has been responsible for the violence against aliens,” he stated. Suran paused, Soval didn’t even bother drawing the punch, he got straight to the point, which only indicated that his worst thoughts were about to be proven right.

 

His dark eyes fell on them as he adjusted his stance and continued, “However, there is a great deal more they are responsible for. They have a great deal of blood on their hands, Vulcan, Andorian and human, not to mention the many other species that have come here to aid us.” Suran was still, Vulcan, they had harmed Vulcans and that wasn’t easy. Shran looked just as unsettled, they were known for the highest possible levels of security, there had only been seven cases, not counting those involved in the bombings, over the past thirty years. The most tragic was, “V’Lor,” began the Ambassador and Suran snapped to attention, “V’Lor was killed by this group.”

 

V’Lor’s case was famous among them even Shran seemed to recognize the name. Andorians would do many things, but harming children was not one of them. “V’Lor, was murdered by Terra Prime,” he said softly, his mind wrapped in confusion, anger and despair. To kill a child, to murder them, was unthinkable for a Vulcan. Vulcan’s treasured children, they were the future of their people, and many couples worked hard to simply conceive children, while they were very fertile during Pon Farr, it wasn’t enough to ensure their survival.

 

Shran placed the glass on Soval’s desk and poured a copious amount of the port into the glass before knocking it back as though it were a shot of Terran Tequila. “They were also responsible for the bombing of the UN, and numerous bombs around the planet,” he stated. Amanda’s lips parted and she stammered, “H-How did we not know?” That was the greatest question of them all, they had no idea, and it seemed almost impossible. Soval turned his attention out the window and Suran listened to Shran and Amanda. “Pink skin, I don’t know, but if I had to guess it’s because not all of you are trust worthy,” he explained. Amanda growled and hissed, “I haven’t met many trust worthy Andorians.” Of course they would start to fight, Amanda was spirited and Shran wasn’t better. Their words seemed muted as he watched Soval walk over to the window.

 

His eyes were filled with pain and the Vulcan’s posture seemed to sag, from exhaustion or emotional pain he was uncertain. He stood before the landscape window that overlooked the bay and said softly, “They had tortured Admiral Forrest.” Amanda and Shran immediately stopped and he heard a gasp from the burnet. She stumbled, knocking into the chair, causing it to slide against the floor as she asked, “Tortured?” Soval didn’t turn around he closed his eyes and averted his gaze from the city, for the first time in years he noticed emotion on his features. Soval held his hands behind his back and clenched his fists, his knuckles were a light green and the tension in his posture made him look even more agitated.

 

“Yes,” he said with a growl. Suran paused, this was the same incident from all those years ago, the same one he had saved the Admiral from. He didn’t understand why he was saying it now until Amanda asked, “Does she know?”

 

“Yes, she saw portions of it when we examined the diamond,” he stated. Suran felt his heart stop in his side, of all the things for a child to see, to see the man who protected and loved her, the one she admired, in such a state. Soval’s brow furrowed as his face twisted, Shran was still, he hadn’t remarked at the Ambassadors behavior which caused him to look over to the unusually silent Andorian. The Andorian’s face was bright blue and his antenna were pointed in Soval’s direction, his eyes were filled with furry.

 

Shran looked as though he were going to shout, Suran was about to step between them when Shran whispered, “She saw it? They taped it?” Soval nodded as he looked over his shoulder, his face slowly schooling into his expressionless gaze. “I did not know it was on the diamond, I had been informed the information would be unsettling, I didn’t know it was included,” he whispered, pain lacing every syllable. Shran softened and a look of understanding crossed his features, “I’m not mad at you Soval, it’s just, who does that? Do you think they intended for her to see it?” he asked quickly, “Not your source but Terra Prime?”

 

Another question that didn’t have an answer and Soval was quiet, he was slipping into his thoughts. “We need to solve this, and capture these assholes,” said Amanda darkly. They had to solve a case that hadn’t been solved in decades, and in enough time to prevent war and perhaps the destruction of two ancient races. He watched Soval turn to them, “I concur, I must meditate,” he said with great strain. Suran watched as the Ambassador walked out of his study and followed him out of habit. He thought the Vulcan would simply go upstairs when he watched the man pause before Kate.

 

Soval stared for a moment, “I’m sorry,” he said softly. An apology, and Suran felt someone near him. He looked over to see Shran watching the scene, Soval left Kate and went up stairs, only then did he say, “I didn’t think he could look like that.” It wasn’t criticism, but a soft statement of wonder. Suran looked over and replied, “There is a great deal you do not know about Osu.” Shran hummed as he drew a breath, he turned his attention to Amanda and noticed the human seemed tired. The Andorian took a step out of the room and said, “Suran, show me out.” It was a command, but the Vulcan knew there was more to be said between them. He turned to Amanda and said, “You may sleep in the guest room, I will show you to it in a moment.”

 

Shran was walking in front of him, but in several long strides he had caught up to him. He was quiet as they walked into the foyer. He half expected the Andorian to remain silent when he asked, “Suran, if this threat is as great as you say, what will Soval do if we fail?” Failure, it wasn’t something he thought about with Soval, then again the Vulcan hadn’t failed in a long time. The idea caused him to shiver uncharacteristically, if Soval and Kate failed, if they all failed, not only would there be a war that could destroy both races, but there would be little left of Earth. “I do not know,” he stated it made him uneasy and Shran drew a breath, “We need to create a back up plan, something in case this goes wrong, we need to stop the war,” he began and looked beyond Suran’s shoulder. The Vulcan knew he was making sure they weren’t being over heard. “If we don’t, there won’t be an Earth left to save and we will be at the mercy of the Romulans and Klingons,” he whispered with haste.

 

There was one more issue, Soval’s attachment to Kate, “We need to make a plan to evacuate the planet,” he stated, “At least our people.” His mind was rushing through protocols that had been drafted after the decision to start the Consulate. There were many things that had to be put in motion, but if he began preparations, it would be ideal. “What about Kate and Amanda?” asked Shran.

 

Suran closed his eyes, Kate was important to Soval, and Amanda was important to Kate. He feared what would occur if Soval lost another individual he considered important. “We will take them with us,” he said after a pause, “If we leave them here with Terra Prime, they will be murdered.” The thought of reading about her mangled corpse brought him discomfort. He didn’t want to deliver such news to Soval, never again. He had to get the information off the diamond, “That diamond, if you get us a copy and show it to Andoria, I know for a fact that we will support you. It will be enough to get our Ambassador to think,” Shran stated.

 

The diamond, it held answers, “I will get it to you,” he then reached into his robe and pulled out a communicator, it was slick and bronze in color. “Here, it has my contact as well as Kate’s and Osu’s. Use this from now on, we do not know who else is listening. Major Forrest had found software that allowed for them to watch her mail and communications in her PADD from Starfleet,” he explained. Shran collected it and nodded, it was a secure line, there would be few who had it. Without a word Shran left, slipping away into the silence of the night, leaving Suran to show Amanda to her room. He swept out of the foyer to note Amanda leaning against the wall. “I heard you,” she said simply.

 

He expected a tirade only to receive, “You’re right, we aren’t safe, and Kate especially. Tell me what you need and I’ll help you set up an escape route. The two of us can work faster on this than one,” she whispered, her dark eyes were filled with determination and he knew he had no choice. He could only nod, “For now we will sleep, for tomorrow we will embark on a new path,” he stated as he lead her upstairs.

 

All he knew was that when the sun rose tomorrow, they were facing a new world all over again, and this time they had to move faster than the first time.

 

 

~~vOv~~

 

Magic and illusions, they share one common element, deception. When the magician waves his wand and instructs the audience to look one place, the true trick is occurring else where, and there in lies the art. Blue eyes glanced over the screen before him as fingers curled in the all too familiar stiff fabric of a regulation blue Starfleet jumper. “What the hell am I missing?” he asked. He really needed to see those files that Kate had managed to construct. However, he wasn’t going to see them until they were back in range. Of course he had all the data presently, and he certainly could run it through a program, as the Vulcans had and end up learning 55 ways to not interpret the information. Or he could figure out the one factor that hooked all the events together.

 

Trip groaned as he leaned against the consul and pursed his lips, he could feel a wave of exhaustion licking at his body yet remained standing there, he had to solve the problem. Once he was able to do so they would have another piece of this puzzle. Blue eyes slipped over to the Chronographer, it was two in the morning, years go that would have been a clear sign to snuggle into his bed and never come back out. However, recently – over the past five years – it had become a way of life. He wondered idly when he had started to not bother referring to the Chronographer to create a sleep pattern and simply slept when the Enterprise was a) under attack, b) dealing with diplomats, c) in imminent danger, d) aiding a ship in duress, e) observing a special anomaly or f) all of the above. He ran his fingers through his hair and groaned, he needed shore leave, and then shook his head as he remembered Risa. No he didn’t need shore leave after that.

 

He had never been in a more awkward situation than that, well other than going through decontamination with T’Pol. She was certainly a mystery and elegant when standing in her usually tight uniform which was apparently standard issue for those working with the High Command in her position. However, seeing her in such a state of undress was burned in his mind. He didn’t think it was possible for another being to be so attractive, until he had seen T’Pol. The stalwart and cool Vulcan, who for some reason ended up having one of the most beautiful bodies he had ever seen.

 

She beat an Orion on all fronts, and it was difficult to apply the cream to her body without allowing his hands to linger. Her skin was soft and hot, it took everything he had that day not to pin her down, or at least attempt to, she was three times his strength, not that he minded. She always smelt of incense and exotic flowers and teas, it was odd how her scent brought him both frustration and peace of mind. How that worked he didn’t know, one moment she was irritating him and the next she was grounding him.

 

Trip wondered if this was something that pertained to all Vulcans, and then amended it. It wasn’t Vulcans, it was women in general. Trip’s fingers tingled at the memory of her skin and he sighed.

 

There was a tap and his eyes snapped open to seeing T’Pol standing far too close. He jumped a little and stared at her dumbly, “Commander?” he asked nervously, he really needed to pay attention when it came to her. He could never hear her, she was far too soft on her feet and one day he knew she would catch him doing something very inappropriate. “I brought you some coffee,” she stated as she held out a glass mug with the black liquid in it. It was black as he liked it and he smiled gratefully, perhaps she wasn’t all that bad. It was then he noticed she had a clear mug of tea. She stood at his side, just outside of touching distance, something he noticed she did a lot lately.

 

“Thanks,” he replied as he took a sip of the bitter black drink, feeling his exhaustion slip away. She nodded as he looked at the board he had been staring at for several hours, he couldn’t even remember how long he had been standing there, only that it seemed that no matter how he looked at it the information would be the same. He slowly lifted the mug to his lips and took a sip, the warm liquid warming his tongue and the heat which had emanated from the mug warmed his fingers. “Trip,” she began only to pause and he stared at her in confusion. It was then he wondered since when she had used that name with him. “Yeah?” he asked.

 

He turned his attention to the Vulcan as she looked at him, “Sarek would like to assist,” she stated. Trip stared at her and was about to argue when he realized a fresh set of eyes was probably ideal. He nodded and said, “Okay then, well three people on this will probably be better.” T’Pol looked over his shoulder and just then Trip realized regardless of his ideas he was going to get the young Vulcan’s aid anyway. Sarek walked over toward them, he was dressed in a long robe with black pants and a thick black shirt, they looked as though he had borrowed them from the Captain, then again it was likely that he had. The male was taller than him and he seemed to tower over the Engineer. T’Pol’s eyes didn’t leave him and Trip felt irritation bubble up inside of him. He was human and the man standing with them was a Vulcan, and from the way T’Pol treated him, he was special.

 

Dark eyes narrowed as they looked at the screen and he took a step closer. “These readings are the same one which the Vulcan Science Academy has been struggling with,” he stated. There was a pause when Hoshi shouted, “Commander! I have a transmission! It’s from Earth!” T’Pol, Trip and Sarek turned around and watched as the communications officer jumped down the stairs with a PADD in hand. Trip watched T’Pol collect it and asked, “Who’s it from?” T’Pol quickly put the message on the screen and a program seemed to hijack the signals. “Who the hell is hacking us! T’Pol disconnect it,” he stated in a rush as he darted to the table, hoping to cut the terminal at the source.

 

His fingers were flying, “That would be unwise,” stated a stiff voice. Trip’s head jerked up as he looked to the Vulcan who was staring at the screen. He was about to shout when he noticed all the signals snap together and several algorithms, “They match,” he said in shock as he quickly began examining the code, “Everyone of them, they’re a perfect match!” he shouted only to wonder who had seen it. Someone had sent them the gift, “Hoshi, got any message with that?” he called, honestly not carrying about poor grammar. He was an engineer, not a linguist.

 

Hoshi shook her head as Trip scowered the code for a sign, only to finally find it. It was a signature he knew better than his own. A smile sweeping across his face, “Well I’ll be damned, she cracked it,” he stated a he looked at the code. Sarek was looking at the table and finally asked, “Who?” Trip grinned as he remembered the fierce blond who was protecting the Ambassador, of course she was the one. He looked up at the pair of Vulcans and could tell they were still confused as to how they had missed it. “Major Katharine Samantha Forrest, a MACCO and the personal body guard of Ambassador Soval,” he stated. T’Pol arched a brow and he watched Sarek stare at him blankly, “We have proof the signals are a match but we need to figure out how to determine that they are fake,” he stated.

 

Sarek took his place on one side of Trip and T’Pol on the other. He looked over at Sarek inquisitively as he watched nimble fingers dance across the touch screen. Trip was about to ask what he was doing when he watched the young Vulcan begin to craft advanced algorithms as though it were child’s play. His jaw dropped open and he stared at the Vulcans who were working away on the analysis of this new information. He then shook his head and began to jump in, reading the code as they went, editing, adjusting and writing sections that were too broad. Never before had he been tossed into the proverbial deep end with a pair of people who could probably run circles around him.

 

“The individual who wrote this program is very skilled,” stated Sarek, catching Trip off guard, he knew he was referring to Kate’s work. He watched the Vulcan look at the code and then another piece of software, it was an all too familiar mainframe set up that Kate had modified, “Yeah, she’s got skill,” he stated. The rest of the day was silent as the three worked, the mugs of tea and coffee were long forgotten as they seemed to work tirelessly.


	14. Limitless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things have become even more complex as Ambassador Soval and Kate begin to bring other individuals into the equation. While Krim is reluctant and more concerned with how he will be seen intergalactically, Commander Shran has another idea. All the while Kate is working to determine who is writing the code, only to learn it's beyond what she believed possible, opening the doorway to a new realm of possibilities.
> 
> Amanda and Suran are working tirelessly to craft an escape plan only for Commander Shran to state that they need more allies than just the Vulcans and ironically the Andorians are willing to aid them.
> 
> Greyson decides to make his move, one that may cost him everything as he followed Admiral Gardner the question is just what has he found and is it even possible for him to get out alive.
> 
> Commander Nathanial Stark is trapped in TAPP, yet there is a ghost in the machine, something no one has seen. Something that shouldn't be possible in the perfect system.

Battles are fought with many different forms, some use armies and economics others wield political alliances as weapons. Yet, it is not the choice of weapon which makes these battles tense, it’s the personalities which are at odds with one another. When these two clash, the action is violent and the results only yield chaos and destruction. Standing across the room from one another were the two least likely to ever come near one another, a pair of adversaries that were known for fighting one another at every turn, regardless of the logic behind it. The tension in the room was high as Kate stood beside Ambassador Soval, her blue eyes were locked on the Vulcan as she shoved her shock in a corner. Soval wasn’t going to leave without an audience. It was the first time she had ever seen the Vulcan actually go as far as to inconvenience any individual and be rude, even by Vulcan standards.

Brown eyes narrowed as the blue-skinned Andorian glared at them, his antenna flicking forward swiftly. “No,” Soval stated, causing Krim to take a series of steps toward him, his face turning a brighter blue as rage boiled under his skin. Kate quickly put her hand on her phaser in preparation to react, they may have been on Andorian soil, but she would not risk the Ambassador over his own stubbornness. Krim stopped several steps away from Soval and she waited silently. “What?” asked Krim challengingly, his tone was stiff and she could tell there was an unspoken warning in it. Soval drew a breath and replied, “No, I will not leave, this is a matter of urgency, and seeing as we are both in danger here, it is only logical for us to work together.”

Kate’s blue eyes fell on the calm profile of the Vulcan Ambassador, his features were emotionless and he seemed to be exhibiting the classic attitude of a Vulcan, however she could see the spark in his eyes. That spark was one of the clearest indications of just what he was thinking and the gravity of the situation. While she had heard him voice his displeasure of working with the Andorians, on a number of occasions, this was probably the first time she could see his respect for them. At least she had interoperated it as such. “What are you talking about Soval?” asked Krim, he did not seem convinced but was willing to at least hear Soval voice his case.

There was a pause as Ambassador Soval looked to his left. Kate’s gaze fell on a small girl with pointed ears, large brown eyes, and dark hair, she looked Vulcan. “The murder at the Collation of Planets, the bombs at the UN, the bombing of Embassies and murders of non-homo sapiens, they are connected,” he stated. Dead silence fell over the room as the young girl nodded and Kate watched hesitantly, she didn’t typically suspect a child as a threat but with what they had found over the past few days, it wouldn’t surprise her. The young girl pulled out a PADD, it looked like her old one until she noticed a large dent in the back and a sticker in the lower corner. “Amanda’s PADD,” she whispered to Soval.

The Vulcan stared at the child as Krim retorted, “What do you mean they are connected, only their message is, not the organization,” he stated. Soval’s hazel eyes snapped to Krim as the man crossed his arms and continued, “If they were we would have,” Soval was quick to step in, his voice elevated and brisk. “Inform us?” he asked, his tone was critical and harsh, one that Kate had never heard him use, he was usually polished and relaxed but with this he flickered into a hostile state. Curiosity flowed through her as she filed the information away to question him about later. Krim looked confused for a moment, clearly not expecting that kind of response either. There was a pregnant pause between the parties, Commander Shran was silent but seemed to understand the situation well enough.

The truth was they were in danger, and this danger was the kind that was nearly impossible to detect due to how well they could hide, they could look like anyone who wasn’t an off-worlder. Profiling would be impossible except that the people in question would be human and have a grudge against aliens, the issue was the type of grudge and it was certainly a long list of those who did not support them. “Starfleet will not inform us, they don’t intend to,” stated Soval as he looked to Kate. She knew she was out of the loop, they had written her off as soon as her father had her assigned to the Vulcan Consulate, and perhaps even before that. “You have a MACCO,” stated Krim bluntly, “I doubt they wouldn’t tell her.”

Kate’s gaze hardened, clearly he was as misinformed as she predicted, “That is where you are wrong, they keep me in the dark and this threat, it isn’t just from normal people on the planet,” she stated as she took a step closer and gazed at Shran. The Commander nodded and she proceeded, “It’s in everything, it’s spreading as fast as a cancer, infecting anything it comes in contact with, we can’t even differentiate supporters of the Coalition from those of terrorists,” she stated, Soval was quiet and she noticed a faint smirk on her lips as the Andorian seemed to absorb this. His attention never left her as she took another step forward. “It’s a mess when we can’t tell the friends from foes, they have even infiltrated Starfleet,” she stated.

Krim sobered immediately to this and alarm sparked in his eyes, now he wasn’t ad defensive, to hear it from a Vulcan was one thing, but a human was quite another. Vulcans always fought with Andorians, but not once had humanity threatened Andoria, and usually they were working toward peace between the two. “How?” he asked, his defenses slowly lowering as his tone transformed to one of pure concern. If Starfleet was lost there was no one protecting the off-worlders, everyone who wasn’t human and even supporters of aliens were in danger. “We do not know, but we have evidence,” Soval replied as he reached into his robes and pulled out the pyramid, it glimmered in the light and Kate looked to Shran.

“I have a copy that’s easier to read, I was going to deliver it to you tomorrow,” stated Commander Shran as he held out the green crystal plate. Krim took it and held it between his fingers before looking to the girl beside Shran. “How does she factor into this?” he asked after a moment. That was the question that everyone was asking, and Kate had a feeling Shran himself was as well. The girl looked at them as she placed the PADD on the table, “Its on this,” she explained as she gestured to it. Kate was confused, Amanda wasn’t part of the group and she asked, “How? That’s Kate’s missing PADD.” The young girl looked at the group before responding, “She didn’t have the plans, I stole them,” she stated, “I needed a large enough format to save it.”

It was then Kate walked over to the PADD, “May I?” she asked Krim. The Ambassador nodded, it seemed to be that he knew she would know the platform better than them, then again she was once part of Starfleet. She collected it from the table and held it in her hands. In moments the code was open she stared at it, “What?” she asked as she flickered through it and looked at the girl. The girl slowly turned her attention to Kate and explained, “I don’t know what it is, it seemed important at the time, they had the files open while they were working.” Kate slowly set the PADD down and knelt on the floor the first thing she wanted to know was what system it came out of.

She slowly placed her hands on the girl’s shoulders and asked, “Who? Who had it?” she made sure to keep her tone soft and gentle. The girl may not have been human but she didn’t want to scare her. She slowly met Kate’s gaze and replied, “The men who want us dead.” Kate was quiet and looked to Soval, she wasn’t familiar with how to handle these incidents, she really didn’t know much about Vulcans or Romulans. Soval looked at the child and asked, “Would you feel more comfortable showing me?” Krim’s jaw dropped and Shran looked as though he had swallowed a fly. Kate paused and wondered why they seemed so shocked, she knew Vulcans were touch telepaths, it was one of the few things her father had told her, yet the way they were acting it was as though it were a social stigma.

The girl nodded, and slowly approached Soval, the Ambassador drew a breath. She watched him tense, what he was going to do made him uncomfortable, and it seemed odd to her. Kate watched as he slowly knelt before her, “Soval, you do realize what you are about to do is considered taboo,” stated Krim in confusion. Kate’s icy blue gaze fell on the Ambassador, she could see the true concern in his eyes and pondered the possible reasons for the sudden interest in Soval’s social standing. Soval was quiet as he looked the girl in the eyes, it was strange he never broke contact with her, “This isn’t the first time I’ve done it, Krim, and won’t be the last,” he stated as he slowly sat on the floor and crossed his legs.

Kate looked to Shran, before asking, “What are you doing, Soval?” The Vulcan Ambassador looked up at her for the first time since they had entered the Embassy, his dark eyes were stormy, it was as though he were at war with himself, an unusual sight for the man who meditated for hours on end to maintain control. “A mind meld,” he replied after huffing, it was an unusual sound, but not unpleasant. A mind meld did not sound pleasant to her and she tilted her head curiously, it was one of the many things she had learned to respect from the Vulcans, not only were they nearly always in control, but they had an air of mystery about them. Soval slowly positioned his fingers on her face and she watched as his eyes closed.

Soval was quiet and Kate decided then to approach Shran for an explanation. The Commander was still, his body had gone ridged upon hearing those words, mind meld. Immediately she knew he knew something, he was too stiff to deny it. She stood beside Shran as she watched Soval’s fingers rest on the face of the girl. “What is a mind meld?” she whispered to Shran. The Andorian’s left antenna twitched, and she noticed a subtle change in the lines around his mouth. She watched as Soval drew another breath, her eyes couldn’t leave the two. “Just who are they?” he asked curiously. Silence fell between them, it was thicker than wool but just as harsh against skin.

“It’s an intimate thing Vulcans do, they are able to look into one another’s minds and share experiences, emotions and so on. It’s very,” Shran paused as though he were searching for a word, only to resort to, “private.” Like all other things in the world involving Vulcans he had selected that word. Vulcans had always been a privet people, but this was something new entirely. Kate watched as Soval continued, muttering softly before saying, “I see now, you truly do not know, only that it was important so you stole the file,” as he opened his eyes, his long fingers rested against her face as his gaze lingered on the child before him. An emotion swirled in his eyes that Kate didn’t recognize, at least not from a Vulcan, it was compassion. Of all the emotions she had seen him display compassion wasn’t a frequent one for him.

Tentatively he withdrew his hands and allowed them to fall to his sides before rising from the floor. His shoulders were in a line and his posture seemed firmer, as though he had finally found his footing. She had seen this stance when ever he addressed diplomats from other planets or even Earth, but to see this after facing a little girl’s memories was different. Kate looked at the PADD on the table before finally picking it up, knowing all too well if anyone would be able to figure out what was on it, it would be her. She turned it on and watched it slowly come to life, Amanda always needed to clean her caches, but never bothered to, it drove her nuts to no end. 

Warmth seeped through her jacket and she glanced up, Soval was looking over her shoulder, his eyes narrowed. “It’s an older model Soval, it’s not as fast as ours,” she remarked as she watched it finally open to the screen only to be met with a black background and bright blue strands of code. It was long and shifted quickly, it didn’t even resemble what she knew. Kate’s lips parted, “What is this?” as she slowly scrolled through, she had worked in many formats, some of them as old as C ++ and Cobalt. Yet this it wasn’t old, but felt old, it certainly wasn’t something she knew. Kate selected a line in an attempt to edit and smiled as the cursor dropped and the code stopped moving. With a few swipes she modified it, “What are you doing?” asked Soval keenly as he observed her modification.

Kate finished the line and stated, “I’m trying to slow it down and get it to open up.” Just as she hit enter and the line was entered she watched the screen flash and the code transform before her eyes, “What?” she asked in shock as she scrolled upward, it was different. “How is that even remotely possible?” she asked as she scrolled upward toward the start of it, or what she had assumed to be the beginning. Soval looked to her and then the screen, “It’s different,” he stated, sounding just as baffled as she was. Shran and Krim were lost, it was written on their faces and Kate wasn’t surprised, neither of them were into code or technology. She looked at the pair, “Okay, code, even when modified shouldn’t alter it’s self entirely, you have to change it,” she explained.

She walked over to the pair and turned the tablet to face them before going to select another line, only for the code to flicker once more and rewrite it’s self, without her modification, another impossible thing. “I thought you had to modify it,” stated Krim. Soval’s dark eyes were glaring at the PADD and Kate swept her fingers over it’s glossy surface, “It shouldn’t change at all unless I change it,” she stated as she scrolled. The MACCO stood baffled as she attempted to comprehend what had occurred. Not even the most advanced codes were self adapting, and she knew that Amanda didn’t have the power in her PADD to run it. That meant that the code was actually else where and all the girl had done was upload a new device which gave it access. Yet that didn’t answer the question as to why the code was changing and why Amanda’s PADD. There was simply no way it was a coincidence.

The blonde slowly walked over to the child and knelt on the floor, her ocean blue eyes fell on her as she asked, “Who told you to take my friend’s PADD?” The girl drew back slowly, she was preparing to bolt. Kate sighed and swept a stray lock of hair behind her ear before continuing, “I’m not going to hurt you, but Amanda is my friend and you took this,” she said as she held the PADD up, “I know it’s not a coincidence, it’s too convenient to be.” The child looked over Kate’s shoulder, and the MACCO knew it was to Shran, she didn’t seem to like being apart from him. “I took it because it was there, and,” she paused before looking at the floor, it was as though she were terrified to continue.

Kate slowly sank to the floor and sat cross legged before the girl, she was quiet as she did so and smiled softly. Vulcan children were different but those she had seen around the Consulate were often disarmed by a soft smile, this one shouldn’t be too different. “I know a secret,” began Kate and the girl looked up, “I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.” There was a snort from Shran and Krim, Kate’s head whipped around and she leveled them with a glare. The pair fell silent once more and she turned her attention to the nervous child before her. The girl drew a breath before saying, “I wasn’t supposed to be there, I wasn’t supposed to even see them.”

It was vague but if they were going to learn anything she would have to let the girl go at her own pace. “I just wanted to know why there was shouting, I saw the PADD and was going to turn it in,” she stated, “it was in the supply closet and I thought someone had forgotten it.” At least that explained the PADD, now how the girl knew where to go after that confused her. She shifted slightly before saying, “I was walking by a screen when I saw a note in Vulcan on it, I was confused because even if we were in the Starfleet Building most of the signs are in Earth Standard.” That got the attention of the Andorians as she listened to them take several heavy steps forward. “It read that I should go to the main terminal and download a file, then seek the help of the Ambassador,” she said softly. A terminal, she had downloaded the file from a Starfleet terminal, which didn’t make sense.

She would know if they were working on anything that advanced, at least she hoped she would, after all she was at the top of her class in technology and code development. The only reason she became a MACCO and not Starfleet IT was because she wanted to live up to her father’s image and protect those important to her. “Okay,” she whispered and offered the girl a reassuring smile, praying it would be enough to placate her. Kate’s eyes fell on the PADD, the code was transforming again, it was as though it were alive, she had never seen anything that complex. “You did good,” she said softly as she stood up and looked at the screen, her fingers dancing with ease. “I need some time to look at this,” said Kate as she slowly settled in a chair at the table, “it’s so complex,” she marveled aloud.

Krim and Shran looked to the child, it was becoming apparent that someone would have to look after the girl. Soval stood before the girl once more, “I will take her with me to the consulate, there we can locate her family,” he said. The girl snuffed, drawing Kate away from the many lines of code and she watched the child hold back tears. “My family is dead,” said the child. There was a stillness that settled over the room until Soval smiled slightly and replied, “Your parents perhaps, but I know a pair of Vulcans who have been trying to have a child but are unable to.” Kate stare at him, her jaw hung agape as she watched the child’s eyes widen. She didn’t think he would do that, “If you like them, would you stay with them?” he asked softly as he held his hand out for her. 

The girl’s face lit up and she watched as she nodded. Kate smiled softly as she scrolled through the ever changing code, for every answer they got more riddles and questions. She listened to the shuffle of people only for one person to remain. She didn’t have to look up to know who it was, “I’ve never seen anything like this,” she whispered in awe. She smelt the scent of wood, musk and a hint of exotic spices, a concoction that could only be described as Soval. “It’s constantly transforming,” she said softly as she swept over the screen, “Adapting, it’s as if,” she paused as she shook her head. The thought was ludicrous, “What?” asked Soval as he looked at the screen, his breath was soft and ghosted over her ear. “As if it’s evolving, and responding to stimulus, even if I haven’t done anything to it,” she stated as she looked up at him.

Silver hair fell over his forehead, he looked different in his informal robes and she wondered if this man behind him was always going to be there to help her. Soval had been her anchor on several occasions, it scared her to think that she had managed to go so long without someone to tether her to the Earth. “Have you ever seen anything like it?” she asked as the code transformed once again. Soval shook his head, “No, not even we have created something that is self correcting and adapting. I would know if we had,” he stated. Kate nodded, as she looked over it, she rubbed her eyes unconsciously, they were sore and she really needed more sleep.

“Katharine, you require sleep,” he stated. Sleep was a luxury that would have to wait until they were safe, what ever this code was, it was most likely more dangerous than any phaser or even torpedo. “No, I have to figure this out,” she stated as she leaned against the table and held her head in her hands, “We are running out of time, you and I both know there is more to come and I don’t want to loose anyone else.” Soval was silent and he looked, he didn’t approve and she knew it, he was concerned for her safety and health. The issue was if she didn’t figure it out, they were all dead. “Katharine, please, just an hour and then you can work,” he stated. Kate yawned and felt her eyes grow heavy, she battled the entire time to keep herself awake. She hadn’t slept much and now she had to try to solve a riddle that seemed impossible.

~~vOv~~ 

Sometimes the truth hides in the darkest of corners, it was unusual but more often than not it was the demons in the dark that knew all the secrets that were hidden by the bright lights of the world above. The sound of tapping filled the room as smoke swirled in the air, a murky halo around the office’s sole occupant. The light from the screen chased some of the darkness of the early morning away, and the scent of sweet tobacco and cool menthol lingered. The embers that had fallen from the end of the cigarette still smoldered in the tray as a pair of tired eyes peered through rectangular lenses. There was a ping that garnered his attention and tired dark brown eyes fell on the screen. Recognition lit them as he pushed away from his desk, crossing the room swiftly after doing so, his mind was racing. It had been days since he had promised to aid the Vulcans in this, and in that time he and T’Vok had written several articles, none of them Pulitzer worthy but it wasn’t half baked.

For the first time he felt as though he were a real reporter, it had been nearly a decade since he had a chance to chase a story. There had been so many regulations on the press after the attacks that it was impossible to search for the truth and publish it without Starfleet cracking down on the paper. Greyson slipped on his long dark blue coat and popped the collar up as he left the office. His footsteps echoed as he sprinted through the hallways and then down the stairs. All he could think about was the chance to nail Admiral Gardner for crimes against the Collation. Even though he didn’t have anything firm to back his claims, he knew that there certainly was a correlation between the Admiral in question and the recent attacks. Things had simply been to neat for there not to be a connection between them.

Through his digging and many nights flirting with the Admiral’s secretarial staff and those he worked with, he was able to construct a loose idea of just how the man’s day was on average. The air was thick with fog as he left the cozy building and stepped into the dank streets of San Francisco. The issue was that as he built the time tables and examined the Admiral’s Schedule, the times in which the attacks occurred he was present at other important events. While this was traditionally enough evidence to keep the authorities at bay, he simply knew Gardner was part of the mess that the Vulcans and Kate had gotten tangled in. It wasn’t really knowledge but instinct, there was something with Gardner that didn’t add up.

The first being his sudden advancement, even though Forrest had died, there wasn’t even debate as to whom would fill his seat. Traditionally there was a period of a month between appointments to pay respect to the fallen admiral, yet there wasn’t. The launch of the Enterprise and her return to her mission wasn’t enough of a catalyst for such a rapid advancement. Not to mention he had only been a captain for three months. Forrest had at least been a captain for a year, although his appointment had also been questionable.

There was a rustle in the corner and his eyes drifted over to the bed, sprawled across it was the figure of a gorgeous blonde. He smirked, it was PRION CEO’s secretary, a beautiful blonde with legs for miles and curves in all the right places. She hummed as she sat up, her brown eyes fell on him and he watched the sheets slip down her body, showing off flawless creamy skin. Her hair was askew from the way he had run his fingers through it hours before. She sat up and stretched, through some clever remarks and charming his way into the building he had met her. He could still remember the first time they had spoken.

_PRION had the highest possible security, yet somehow on that rainy day he managed to find a place to hide inside the very last place he ever anticipated being able to enter. The lobby had sleek silver desks and glass panels, he watched screens flicker and knew immediately that he was no longer in the world of Starfleet but the slick technologically advanced PRION. His eyes floated around the space as he watched men and women dressed in black and white flitter by, not even noting the existence of a stranger standing in the middle of the lobby. He smiled as he began to walk through the building, it was easier than he anticipated._

_All he had to do was locate a server and he would be safe, if he could locate those he would be able to help Suran and Soval even more than he had ever anticipated. Just as he made it to the lift a young woman stepped out, she was dressed in a bright red dress, with long blonde hair, dark brown eyes and a pair of towering pumps. She stood out against the monochrome world, a flame in the ashes. He watched as she slipped a loose wave behind her ear and smiled at him. Her pupils dilated and immediately he knew she was attracted to him. Typically he wouldn’t have spared it a thought until he noticed the badge on her hip, she had clearance to the top floor, the CEO’s secretary. He had a way in._

_Greyson smiled warmly and asked, “Need help?” she was carrying a stack of folders and turned up the charm. She shifted in her shoes, her dark eyes were slightly hooded and replied, “Depends, are you offering?” She was attracted to him, it wasn’t difficult to imagine why, he had been one of the most sought after men of the stage. She giggled as he replied, “Only if you’re interested.” His voice was deep as he held his hands out for the stack. As always she obliged, unable to resist a chivalrous gesture, it wasn’t all too common for a man to even offer._

The reporter smiled as he watched the blonde sit up, her perky breasts slipping out from under the sheet. “Greyson?” she asked softly, “Why are you up?” He hummed as he saved the article, before stamping his cigarette out in the ashtray. She would never have known that he was using her to get close to his boss who in turn was getting him closer to the Admiral. “Working on an article, the joint one with T’Vok and myself,” he stated simply, avoiding the complexity of it’s nature, after all they had chosen a challenging topic to cover in hopes it would draw suspicion away from him and T’Vok. She smiled as she got up, only for a light to flash. She slipped her fingers through her hair as she picked up her PADD. Greyson decided the best coarse of action was to appear occupied, he had found he learned more if she didn’t believe he was listening.

He could see her face in the glossy reflection of his screen as he worked. She was looking at her PADD and remarked, “I have to go to work, apparently Maizel is meeting someone at the Cardinal.” She hummed as she slipped her panties and bra on, he typed as he watched her dress, assessing the situation as she went. A meeting at the hotel wasn’t unusual, it was what happened with many businesses as they worked out contracts and decided that neutral ground would be the best approach.

However, the timing was off, it was in the afternoon, closer to evening. Most meetings of this nature happened sooner in the day, typically before five, and it was already seven in the evening. If he was going to learn anything of use from this, he would have to be patient and not over zealous like many of his colleagues. He watched as she left his flat, the door clicking with a hint of finality as the latch caught. Greyson leaped out of his seat and in a flash was slipping into his trench coat and grabbing a hat. Time wasn’t on his side, if he was going to learn what was occurring he would have to start with PRION, it was where it all began.

Footsteps echoed as he left the flat and sprinted down the stairs, careful not to move too quickly or he would alert the woman that he was on the move. With each stairway he could see the flare of her black dress and swish of her long blond hair around the corners. Following individuals was a challenge, it always was. If he was too close they would know and the risk of being caught was high, too far and he would loose the trail. It was an art form of sorts, to see her and not be detected, invisible to her and able to see all he needed to. The streets were damp from the rain, the fog had rolled in like the tides, blanketing the city in it’s murky mist, making it even harder to follow her trail. The Cardinal Hotel was several blocks away from the glistening silver behemoth with the letters PRION plastered on it.

He looked over at the glistening lights of the silver building, the letters PRION were outlined in brilliant blue. Rumors spread through the city that Starfleet was no longer seeking Global Dynamics for its technology but PRION. While GD was still the best in technological advancement and had been developing engines, hubs and various instrumentation for space travel as well as medical equipment, PRION’s activates weren’t as well known.

The reason being that PRION had appeared less than three months after Gardner was appointed and had made a great deal in swiping contracts from GD, the only thing was no one seemed to know where the money was going. According to rumor it was attached to a lunar mining colony owned by Paxton, however, there wasn’t a single document connecting them. If there was, it was most likely paper, as the entire century was dominated by electronic documentation. Starfleet was hiding something and what ever it was, had to do with what PRION was working on. The possibility of a lunar mining company being involved may have seemed far fetched but the number of times Paxton had met with Maizel was far too many for it to be a coincidence.

The woman trotted across the street, her movements were precise and far more elegant than usual. The reporter hummed, then again she hadn’t seemed too concerned with her appearance around him, perception was everything when dealing with Maziel on a daily basis though. Greyson stood in an alley and watched as a slick Starfleet Flitter approached the building. His eyes narrowed as he lifted a camera and looked through the lens, adjusting the view accordingly.

Stepping out of the safety of the flying bunker was none other than the Admiral. His fingers released the shutter and he watched as a tall bald man waited for him under an umbrella, his gaze was squarely on a man waiting under the awning for him, he was dressed in a pristine suit and stood with what looked like an army of aids behind him. Gardner nodded to the man as he walked past and Greyson realized he had to get closer to understand what he was seeing. The reporter drew a breath before quickly walking across the block and entering the lobby. As he did so he noticed a small army of security shadowing the man in a suit. He paused as he watched the lift doors open and an older gentleman with silver hair step out didn’t get a good look at his face, he couldn’t see it. “Good evening,” greeted the man his voice was rich and decadent.

Greyson paused, it was familiar everything about this man was. He looked in the window and watched the meeting only to finally see the owner of the voice, “Howard Maizel, the owner of PRION,” he whispered as he snapped a photo of the meeting in the mirror. A meeting between the admiral and the CEO wasn’t too unusual, they were a major technology company and had been working closely with Starfleet. It was the setting that seemed odd, usually they would meet in a secure location, while no doubt the hotel had been swept thoroughly and Maizel traveled with an army of former Special Forces agents, it wasn’t the norm.

They stood chatting, their words were hushed and from what he could read on their lips it was all formalities. The reason they were standing in the lobby eluded him. By this time they should have been in a secure location and he would have to figure out a way to listen in. The doors of the lobby opened once more and he stared in confusion as two robed figures entered. “Vulcans?” he asked as he watched the elegant robe whisper, swaying slightly as the figure walked. Vulcans weren’t typically players in these conversations, they shouldn’t have been, Vulcans didn’t agree with the methods of PRION and the relationship between Vulcan and Starfleet was turbulent at best.

He watched keenly as the two hooded figures stood before the group in the lobby, there was a stillness that fell over the room before the group began to shuffle through the hallways, it was then he realized he would have to find a disguise, there was no way he would be able to follow without one. Greyson scrutinized his surroundings until he noticed a red blazer sitting on the back of a chair behind the desk. Deftly he reached over the desk and snatched it from the chair and slipped it on, fortunately he was already wearing black pants, and tucked his trench coat away. Greyson swiftly took off after the group and watched as they entered one of the VIP Lounges. Now all he had to do was slip in and listen.

Greyson reached into his pants pockets and pulled out a wick as well as amplifier, a unique device he had picked up on one of his less than savory assignments. He slipped into a storage closet and began to listen intently, only to get static. “Fuck, I thought this would work, guess I’m doing this the hard way,” he stated as he shucked out of the jacket and ruffled his hair before slipping off his glasses, removing his tie and popping the collar of his shirt. There was more than one way to get into a room, and this was one of them. At least he had another job before he was a reporter, even if it wasn’t as good. He hummed as he ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up just right, he had to make it look as though a woman had just run her fingers through it.

With a quick glance in the mirror he was out, his sleeves rolled to the elbow and hands in his pockets.  It had been a while since he did this and walked through the hallway, his eyes locked forward as he carried his trench coat over his shoulder. They had entered one of the VIP lounges, which meant that they were always open to the artists who played in them during the late hours of the night. It allowed for them to get some practice in, and become accustomed to the acoustics of the room, which of course were of the highest quality. With any luck he would be able to get the secretary of Maizel to join him for coffee the next morning, in his bed, of course. Greyson was no stranger to this and oddly prior to his occupation of being a reporter he had a very different life, one that had never left him alone.

Greyson turned the corner, his steps were light as he walked toward the back entrance of the lounge, it was the closest door to the bar and lead right to the piano. A pair of girls walked by and he noticed them purposely slow he knew they were looking him over, it really wasn’t the first time. He ignored them and found the back door, with ease he opened it and slipped in, while most places had it locked, this hotel seemed to not care if anyone knew where it was. Then again, the last time he had used this door was for his final show ten years before. Greyson pushed the door open gently and slipped into the lounge, sitting near the front was the group.

They all looked up at him in utter confusion as he tossed his jacket over a chair and proceeded to open the lid of the piano. “It’s just the pianist for the evening,” remarked Maizel, his tone was dismissive as always. Admiral Gardner didn’t look convinced, however turned his attention once more to the group. His fingers swept over the keys and he watched intently only to notice a Vulcan woman watching him with interest. He smiled a little as he decided to hum a little and play a piece he knew like the back of his hand, one he had been known for and still adored with the passion of any lover of jazz. He shifted in his seat as he began to play the soft and supple beginning, the light notes seemed to sparkle in the dim light like the bubbles in a champagne flute. The procession of notes hit all the right tones and made the stars glimmer even brighter. His eyes fell on the group as they seemed to fall away from the conversation, their gaze turning to him. Years of practice had taught him how to tickle the ivory, how to caress her just right to get the sound he craved.

The softness of the familiar melody fell away as he began, “Birds flying high, you know how I feel,” his voice was raspy and rich from years of abuse from those cigarettes he craved and the spirits he was well acquainted with, a sound that was his signature. “Sun in the sky, you know how I feel,” he swept his hands over the keys with grace, “Breeze drifting on by, you know how I feel.”

His eyes flickered up tot the table and he smirked as the group fell silent their eyes were on him. If there was one way to get what he needed it would be to attract one of the women with them, chances were he just had to keep her till dawn and promise coffee in the morning. Internally he smirked, it had been a long time since he had played this card and he was going to do it with class. “It’s a new dawn,” he hoped she would stay till dawn, “It’s a new day,” he knew it would be a new day, “it’s a new life,” it wasn’t new but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t feel that way if he got what he needed. “

For me,” well he knew the tune and he leaned into the keys, “and I’m feeling good,” his voice was powerful, coexisting with the piano in a way he thought had abandoned him

Deftly his fingers danced as he leaned into the keys, the sound bounded off the walls, filled the space to full capacity as his fingers found every last delectable note, and his voice followed on key. His blue eyes were locked on the blond only to note the attention of a Vulcan, her dark eyes were locked on him and he wondered just what she was thinking. He hadn’t seen her enter, unless she was one of the hooded figures. He had counted two and wondered where she had come from. His eyes swept the space, he knew all the exits, he had made sure to map the room out before entering, at least he thought he had. Greyson felt the hair son his neck stand on end, he was being watched by more than just the individuals occupying the table in the middle of the room.

He finished the song, his eyes had lowered and landed on the keys at some point, it wasn’t until then he realized he had made a mistake, one that could cost him. One of the first rules of sneaking into a space to gain information was to watch the target. He looked up only to see the Vulcans standing before him, he shivered. One of them had grey eyes, they were pale and seemed to glow eerily in the harsh stage lights. “Who are you?” asked the woman, her upswept brows were slightly furrowed in curiosity and he was about to respond when he watched Gardner saunter over. The Admiral was grinning darkly, “Oh yes Greyson do tell the truth, just who you are and why you followed me,” he stated.

Blue eyes widened in alarm, it was over, he had failed as he replied, “I’m just here to play on behalf of the hotel.” Gardner chuckled and shook his head, “I don’t think so.” Greyson watched silently as the Admiral’s lips curled back, a grin of glee on his face and the darkness he had only seen in nightmares filled his eyes. He watched as the vivid eyes belonging to the newly appointed Admiral turned into empty black pools, where hope died and life seemed to freeze. “Administrator, please leave and take Kruss with you,” he stated. Greyson’s head jerked up as his eyes widened, Kruss, the head of the security for the Vulcan Consulate was working with an administrator. He watched as one of the men lowered his hood, and immediately recognized the man before him as V’Las, one of the most dangerous Vulcans in the universe.

His blood ran cold as he attempted to pull away from the piano, only to feel the harsh materials of a phaser muzzle at the back of his neck. “Well done Greyson, the only issue is that we knew you were there. You should be more careful,” stated Gardner as he looked at Greyson. It was over, and Greyson held his breath, mentally preparing himself for the onslaught of pain and sorrow that would fill him. He had been careful with the entire group, with all of the work he puts into the motel. Only now did he realize that this was spotted the other day. Escape would be nearly impossible, it would mean not only assaulting an admiral but managing to incapacitate him and get the information to Suran and Amanda. If those two could get it, he would have a chance, they would be able to stop the madness and prevent what ever the group was planning.

The Vulcans left silently as did Maizel, all that remained in the room was himself and Gardner. There was a time he held all of Starfleet with high regard, but this, this was enough to snap him from the dream he had found himself in. He had one shot, and that was the Wick, by now it would have sent everything they needed to know to the PADD in his office after he had placed the transmitter in the closet. Once the information was received the file would be sent to the Vulcan consulate. “What are you doing Garnder, you are supposed to protect us from violence and bring about peace,” he stated. All he could do was pray that he wouldn’t loose this, he couldn’t.

Gardner’s lips curled as he replied harshly, “I am, from aliens, those who wish to contaminate our culture, destroying that which makes us human.” Greyson shivered, the man before him not only condoned this notion but was practically advising people that genocide was actually a solution. “Do you know how much damage they have done by being here?” he asked shortly. Greyson was still, knowing full well that the answers he sought would be callous and harsh. “They could destroy our culture, our world, all over the fact that Starfleet supports their cause,” he stated with irritation ebbing into his voice. Greyson was silent as he listened to the man yell. It wouldn’t be the first time he had made a mistake that would cost him so greatly, he only wondered how Gardner knew.

There was a flutter of blonde hair, the sound of heels clicked behind him and the all too familiar scent of orchids filled his nose. He stiffened as her fingers swept over his shoulders, her breath tickled the shell of his ear, it was her. “They will demolish us, we just have to learn how to defend ourselves,” she said darkly and he watched Garnder smile with satisfaction. The secretary chuckled as he asked, “Why?” Greyson knew that not everyone supported Starfleet but why she would hand him over to Gardner confused him. Gardner wasn’t the highest power, it made more sense to hand him over to Maizel. “Because, it’s my name on the building,” she replied. Greyson froze and looked over at the man, only to note something oddly different, his eyes were plastered on the woman behind him, the one holding the gun to his neck.

His eyes widened with realization, the reason it was all too easy to get into the lobby, it wasn’t because the security had slipped, he was trapped. She had had him in her clutches since the very beginning, and he had fallen for every trap she had laid. “Maizel is my secretary, my name is Sarah Prion, the CEO of PRION,” she stated darkly, her tone was glacial, resulting in a shiver to run through his body. He didn’t know a thing about her, but wondered just how she had amassed the power she had, to become such a player wasn’t done over night. It took years to become the technological giant she had, something was wrong. “How?” asked Greyson, there was no point in them hiding it, he knew he was dead.

Sarah chuckled, the sound twisted his stomach, she was enjoying every second of his fear. Smirking with triumph she said simply, “Sometimes the darkest places hold the finest resources, GD wasn’t always good and no matter how hard one tries, you can’t destroy the past, you can only delay someone finding it.” Sarah had gotten into the warehouses of Global Dynamics, she had just admitted to theft freely. He turned his head slightly, to catch the rounded profile of the beauty he had mistaken as a secretary. She wasn’t phased in the least by these moments, in truth it looked as though she were a child playing a game.

It was a game for her and sadly he had lost. Greyson drew a deep breathe before asking, “Just what did you find?” If he was going to die, he would at least get that answer for them, even if Kate and Soval would never be able to stop it. 

~~vOv~~ 

Kate was swiping away at the screen and she sighed as she leaned back and looked at the ceiling. Her eyes hurt and she felt herself growing even more tired. The doors opened to the room and she listened to the familiar shuffle of Amanda. She would recognize her steps a mile away, “How’s it going?” asked Amanda as she placed a cup of black coffee before her. A hum vibrated in the back of Kate’s through as she greedily snatched it from the table and took a sip, not caring that it was scolding hot, all that mattered as the pick up. Amanda looked at the PADD and whistled, “Wow, that’s intense, and I thought my exams were tough.” Kate groaned, it was getting even more difficult to understand what she was looking at.

There weren’t any books on this kind of code and part of her wondered if someone had even written it, “I don’t get it, this thing has no rhyme or reason, it doesn’t follow any principles!” she ranted as she pulled at her hair, causing the sloppy bun to become loose. Amanda hummed as she nimbly pulled the elastic out and ran her fingers through Kate’s hair. “It looks better down,” she commented. Kate huffed in amusement as she looked up at her, she could see the concern in Amanda’s eyes but made no comment. “It’s not part of dress code,” she remarked. It earned a snicker from Amanda as she asked, “Since when is leather and denim part of the code?”

Kate heaved a sigh, her chest rising slightly as she did so and leaned back. “I’m missing something, something important,” she stated. It was crucial and yet she had no idea what it was. Amanda sat on the table beside her and sipped her coffee, it was then she wondered just where the cup had emerged from, Vulcan’s didn’t drink coffee. “Where?” Kate asked as she gestured to the cup, her eyes narrowed inquisitively as though the cup in that moment was more intriguing than the ever changing code. Amanda smiled a little and replied, “The Ambassador said you were tired an apparently someone had gifted him a can of Illy’s Espresso and a press. Since he doesn’t like coffee he let me make it for you.” It was a simple enough explanation and Kate nodded.

The sharp notes of the espresso danced on her tongue slowly soothing her frazzled mind and bringing order to the chaos the code had created. “Well who ever gave it to him has great taste,” she mused, “How is he?” Amanda leaned back on her hands, her torso bowing as she did so and she swung her long legs out. It was then Kate realized she was in skin tight jeans and an old UCLA tee shirt, which wasn’t a surprise really. “The Ambassador is currently with Ambassador Krim, they are discussing the details of the disk, they will be here in a few minutes to ask for an update,” she admitted. Of course they would like to know her progress and Kate found herself wishing she had something to tell them that was beyond the lines of not understanding anything about it.

Amanda leaned forward and placed a hand on Kate’s back, on reflex Kate flinched away. No matter how long it had been, contact always spelled pain, and Amanda hummed as she rubbed a circle into her tense muscles. Kate leaned her arm against the arm rest, she was stumped, it was way out of her league and she began to wish she knew where Stark was. If there was anyone that could help it would be him, he was one of the best at what he did. The doors opened and she listened to the soft voices of Krim and Soval as they spoke. She could tell there was a great deal of tension and she looked up. She had half expected to see the pair arguing only to see a bleak look on his face, they were quiet. The disk had caused them to sober up.

Ambassador Krim stood before her, his eyes were apprehensive as though he had realized he had actually insulted her. Kate didn’t feel insulted, then again Soval had always believed that people should be treated with respect if they were capable and so far he hadn’t done much to show it. “Any advancement with the code?” asked Shran as he looked at her with a glint of hope in his eyes. Kate shook her head, “No, I haven’t made a dent in it, I can’t make heads or tails of this thing it’s as though,” Kate froze. It wasn’t possible, but that’s what it acted like, and she shot up. She turned to Amanda and asked, “Did you bring my bag?” The MACCO nodded dumbly, and then clapped her hands before waving her off.

Amanda scurried away, knowing better than to question it. “What?” asked Krim and Kate walked to the head of the table before pulling out a disk and flipping it between her fingers, the motion was smooth and effortless on her part as her mind reeled. It wasn’t possible, it couldn’t be, and yet there was evidence in this code that it was, she had seen stranger over the past week and a half than ever before. Krim looked even more irritated as Amanda rushed in with the black PADD. “What is going on here Soval?” he asked and the Ambassador held up his hand in an attempt to hold Krim at bay.

“Just wait,” he stated, Kate flicked her wrist and they watched as the disk slid across the top of the table before stopping in the dead center and she swept her fingers over the PADD, resulting in lines of glass like code to appear before them. “This is the code, and it’s almost always changing, right?” she asked. They watched it transform before them, “I know this sounds bizarre and trust me it will make sense,” she stated. Kate picked up her tablet and began to type away logging into the projector and they watched the numbers stop, freezing in place for a breath as she highlighted several portions of code. “This is going to sound insane, but the reason I can’t crack the code is because it isn’t that kind of code,” she explained.

She looked through her PADD and remembered an unusual disk that had come loaded in it, an extra program she knew Suran hadn’t installed and was running in the background. The data flickered and her eyes widened, “Now it looks familiar,” she stated. The group stared at the information before them, “It looks just like the PET scan I had gotten when I cracked my skull against the floor that one time when you tried to teach me how to tango,” stated Amanda. Kate sighed, of course that would come up, that incident would never die. She could still remember Amanda attempting to do some kind spin when she was attempting to dip her, it ended badly. Soval looked genuinely interested and Kate rubbed the back of her neck. “Yeah well, this is similar,” she stated.

Kate looked over the data, “The reason we are struggling with it, is because it isn’t what we think, it has been written but not in a language we recognize on a conscious level,” she stated. The scans were active, higher than anything she had seen, “Are you telling us it’s alive?” asked Shran, his voice was elevated and she could hear the chord of disbelief in it. Kate crossed her arms and nodded, “Yeah, it’s the only explanation, out of this entire mess there isn’t a single line that is stable, it’s always changing,” she replied. They looked at her and then to the ever changing code. Soval was the first to speak as he slipped his hands into the sleeves into his robe, his voice filled the air with a hint of authority.

“What else can you tell us?” he asked, clearly concerned and attempting to determine the best course of action. Kate shrugged as she gestured to the code with an open palm, “Look, this is not in my realm of expertise, what I can tell you is that the worm that attacked the consulate and this are similar in that they share a few codes,” she explained. This resulted in a look of genuine bewilderment from the others, she knew she had said she hadn’t really seen it before, and the truth was what she had seen of the worm was that it was fast and noticed a single code they shared. “I thought you just stated you’ve never seen anything like this,” remarked Ambassador Krim crossly. Of course he would be the one to attack without allowing her to explain.

Kate flicked her blond hair out of her face with her fingers and replied, “I’ve only caught a glimpse of it, it’s similar in construct, which if this thing is indeed somehow alive then we know it’s intelligent and would explain its constant adapting and why I couldn’t catch it.” She shifted her weight as she crossed her arms and glared at the code that had begun to shift once more, now it seemed that things were more complicated than before. She needed someone else to help her, sadly the ideal guy was no longer with them. She needed help because this technology was beyond Starfleet, it was in the realm of someone from GD.

Global Dynamics was the leader in technology and she paused, “PRION,” she said after a moment and looked to Amanda. The company’s name dawned on them and the pair stared at each other. “PRION took over the contract from Global Dynamics, after Gardner was appointed,” stated Amanda. Kate knew they wouldn’t know about this, it was one of Starfleet’s largest blunders. They had nearly destroyed their chances to complete the Enterprise when they had decided PRION was the choice for their advanced technology. They looked at the group and Kate began, “PRION is a research lab that specializes in advanced technologies, we don’t know much about them, other than that they have very powerful friends.” It was a bit of an understatement but she didn’t want to have to explain how she knew the information that hardly investors knew.

PRION had become a large name and its technology was already invading the market place. It wasn’t the same quality of GD and more often than not the hardware fell apart, however PRION had proven to be effective in disposing of the opposition. “If they have finally pushed GD into a corner, we have an even bigger issue,” she stated as she tapped her hand against the table, that issue was going to get them killed or worse. She reached into her jacket and pulled out the marble like device, she really wished Stark was there. “We need to get our hands on the stuff in PRION, if anyone has technology that can produce this it’s them,” stated Kate as she placed the marble back in her pocket.

Before there was even a murmur of protest Kate was attempting to get into their servers, only to be met with an opposition, apparently not everyone was inept. “This part will take a while, we need to understand what this thing is, if we don’t we are all dead,” she stated. Soval stood beside her and swept his fingers over the table top, he was going to assist until Kate grabbed his wrist. The action was so quick that she hadn’t even thought of the consequences. His skin was hot under her fingers, setting fire to her nerves and resulting in a wave of arousal slamming into her. Soval stilled immediately, his hazel eyes falling on her inquisitively, she could see the questions burning in his mind. “Don’t,” she said softly and the Ambassador arced an elegant brow.

He was about to protest as she swept her fingers unthinkingly over his wrist, “If you do this, its an act of war. If I do it, its theft and perhaps treason,” she replied. Soval’s nostrils flare as he replied, “It is illogical for you to assume all of the risk. Treason’s punishment is execution.” Kate nodded, she knew that all too well, but he was at a greater risk. “Yes,  but if you are caught, the hopes of us being able to save anyone will be slimmer as you are sent back to Vulcan and will be punished according to your laws. That’s if we even get you to Vulcan, with how things seem to be unfolding, even the chance of deportation don’t look possible,” she explained.

If there was anything she couldn’t handle, it was the thought of Soval being deported off of Earth and loosing everything simply because he wanted to help her and prevent her form committing an act that could kill her if she was caught. Ambassador Krim was still and she could tell Amanda was surprised. In the past Kate hadn’t minded the aid of another hacker, it meant an easy scapegoat, but this wasn’t just another hacker, he wasn’t just another person, he was Soval. Her blue eyes were locked on his as she continued, “Let me do this, you know I’m able to,” she smiled a wryly, “Besides we all know that I have more experience with Terran systems than you.”

Displeasure coursed through Soval, she could see his lips turn downward. Of course it was risky and she knew what she was doing was treason. The truth was the moment she had decided to protect Soval, she had been cast away from society and would be handled as a traitor anyway. Earth wasn’t supportive of anyone not from her genetic pool. The Ambassador stepped closer, yet never pulled his hand away, his eyes boring into her. She knew he could hear the thoughts flittering through her mind, and feel the emotions that were weighting her down. “Katharine,” he began, causing her eyes to widen. Katharine, he never used her name unless he was panicked or attempting to bring her out of emotional turmoil. For the first time, he had used it, without discomfort or even seeing it as a last resort. “I will not allow you to sacrifice yourself, there must be another way,” he stated. She knew he didn’t believe his own words, he was searching for another idea, anything else that wouldn’t end with her doing something more dangerous than all the other events combined.

He was so close she could smell his robes, it was a familiar and comforting scent. She hummed as her fingers swept over the soft skin of his wrist, “There isn’t, you know that, just look away.” Look away. He had instructed her to do that, and now she was telling him to do the same. Part of her wondered if her father had done this, if her father had told the Ambassador to look away as he did what he had to, even if at the time it wasn’t entirely right. If he looked away he wouldn’t see it, and there fore couldn’t be held accountable for her actions.

Ambassador Krim stood stock still, his eyes on the pair, they never deviated from them. Kate glanced over to him and noticed his genuine interest in the exchange, while it was true that he was now part of this and would be affected by anything that transpired after this moment, she had a feeling it wasn’t the only reason he was interested. Soval’s nostrils flared as he replied, “I refuse.” The words sliced through her as he stated them with conviction. Kate’s blue eyes widened in shock, not only had he called her Katharine, but he now objected to her decision. “I won’t allow this, we are in this together, from the moment you prevented my convoy from being breached in front of Starfleet and accepted this post, we have been working with one another,” he stated firmly, his tone unwavering and in that moment Kate realized this wasn’t the Ambassador, this was truly Soval, “You were tasked with protecting me, and I will not allow you to put yourself in a position that will prevent it.”

Her mouth felt dry, she didn’t have a reply to that statement, she wondered briefly if she was just the body guard. “We need you Katharine, I told you that before,” his tone was slightly softer but its fortitude had not receded. They needed her, part of her wondered if Soval needed her as more than someone to protect his person but had a feeling she would never learn that. Kate nodded as she finally pulled her hand away, the air was cool against her palm from where she had touched him. It was strange how he had not pulled away from her, it was as though he had welcomed it. She shook her head, it was a foolish notion.

“Alright, together,” she stated. Soval gave a stiff nodded and she turned to Ambassador Krim, “I’m afraid my staff isn’t as capable, and I myself do not agree with this. I will not risk my position.” Kate was taken aback as she looked at the Andorian, his blue skin seeming darker than before and his antennae swinging. The MACCO dropped her stylus and crossed her arms defiantly, she had expected this from the Vulcans, and yet they were aiding her to the best of their abilities. “What?” asked Kate, her voice darker than before, daring the Andorian to give her a some what reasonable explanation. She knew he was protecting himself, but if he did not help it would be her and Soval against the world, and the odds of them winning were far too slim. Archer hadn’t arrived with Enterprise and she would send both Suran and Amanda away before anything could happen to them. She left her position and swept around Soval, leaving the Vulcan to watch her silently, apparently he had learned something, to stay out of her way when she was irritated.

“I will not risk my post here, for this,” he stated, “We will leave the planet first.” Kate grit her teeth, that would be a brilliant idea if she hadn’t seen the technology they were wielding first. With the technology this group possessed, she doubted the Andorians could run far enough from their reach. Already they had surpassed Vulcan technology and she knew that it would be a matter of time before man took to the stars, the result could be a massive genocide of all species that were not human. “You will not be able to run fast or far enough, they have this,” she nearly shouted as she pointed at the table before them, “Not even Vulcans have ventured into this kind of technology and you’re telling me your solution is to abandon us.”

Ambassador Krim’s posture stiffened and she watched as he crossed his leather clad arms, “We have outrun Vulcans on occasion,” he stated. Kate laughed bitterly, the Vulcans weren’t the ones that seemed to terrify everyone, humanity was moving fast and had made leaps that had taken the Vulcans centuries to accomplish. “You won’t be able to outrun this,” she stated, “We are talking about something that can sneak into a system and lay dormant for years, you have no idea the amount of damage it could do if you allow it to connect to one of the many servers here in the consulate.” The Ambassador didn’t look faced as Kate seethed, “Fine, run with your tail between your legs, Andorians are supposed to be fearless, yet here you are ready to retreat!”

She took a step closer to him, her irritation had given ways to anger, which swirled in her stomach. “You stated we don’t have the guts,” she hissed, “You’ve said we don’t have the courage,” she took another step, advancing ever so quickly, “You’ve shouted that we will never reach the lengths we desire.” Her fingers clenched into a fist as she continued, “I will do this, we will do this, to save not just our world but yours as well.” Their ways were being threatened and she knew Terra Prime would reach as far as possible to quell the threat. “This isn’t about you,” she stated as she jabbed a finger at Krim, “This is about all of us, human and alien alike.”

If they didn’t draw up together, then they would have even greater issues. She was a breath away from Krim and stated, “War is messy, but this is cleaner.” She needed him to trust her instincts, to follow her lead to the very end. Krim stood there and then looked to Amanda, she knew her best friend would be smirking. “What can we do to help?” asked Ambassador Krim after a pause. Kate smiled and looked to Amanda, “You can help Amanda, we have to finish preparing for the Gala that’s tomorrow night,” she replied, it was a simple and honest answer.

Amanda nodded as she approached the two Andorians, “Look, we know this is strange, but with the tension in the area we all know that the probability of something occurring at the Gala is high, so we need as many allies on our side as possible,” stated the brunet as she walked over to them. Kate watched as understanding flooded the Andorian’s features, “Kate and I are going as escorts to the Ambassador and his aid, but we can’t protect everyone, there isn’t enough of us,” she stated. Krim nodded in understanding and she watched as she left with the Ambassador, Shran following close behind.

Once the doors closed once again she turned her attention to Soval. He was going to stick with her, “Okay, let’s get started,” she stated as she turned her attention to the code before them. She had to solve this and she had less than thirty six hours to do it before the Gala.  She had been put in an impossible position before and won, the difference was that this time there was far more at risk compared to the last time. She drew a breath and allowed her fingers to fly over the board, knowing full well that she was attempting to break into the most secure servers in the world. 

~~vOv~~

The code ran through the machine and Nathanial’s eyes were skimming over it. It seemed random as he attempted to slow it, the code transformed into something else. “What?” he asked as he slowly reached his hand out, his fingers slipping through the air with no resistance. The code was jagged and moving, as though it had taken life on to it’s own. It annoyed him, his green eyes narrowed in an attempt to tame the numbers. He ran a hand through his short hair, it was still the same length but he had no idea how long he had been trapped inside. Unlike many things, once inside TAPP, the faster you lost time and hours could be days, days transform into months and the longer spent inside the more disconnected from reality the individual was. “Nathanial,” someone whispered, it was a smoky sound with a voice that sounded familiar, as though it had been part of a dream.

The Commander’s fingers paused and he looked away from the strand he was working on. Clearly they had found new ways to torment him, at least this time they hadn’t trapped him in VR, virtual reality. He had his fair share of that, and did not wish to return to such a realm again.

As they swept over the numbers he watched them splinter into pieces, the sound of glass shattering filled the room. Reflexively Nathanial put his arms up to shield his face and ducked slightly. “Nathanial,” whispered a horse voice, it was cloudy and distant, as though it were a siren call. He felt the shards of code tare through him and he hissed in response. His arms stung and irritation seemed to spread through him at the sheer fact that his work had just spontaneously combusted. “What the hell?” he asked as he looked up. He was no longer in the white room, he was standing in the woods, the scene of pines and maples filled his nose. He spotted a few red woods and looked around keenly, dirt had dusted his once pristine white shoes and suddenly the white track suit seemed even more out of place.

Immediately he whipped around in an attempt to understand the situation, it was impossible to measure time when trapped within the system, it could have been weeks or hours, to the extend he wasn’t certain. However, he did know that the system wasn’t VR. Traditionally a VR system would immediately immerse him in the frame work created by others, he had walked into a white room, a blank slate. Where ever this was coming from, it wasn’t originally there and he didn’t know it. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, it’s golden rays causing them to glow. Moss covered trunks of trees and old logs, various forms of fauna, such as ferns and clovers were spread through out. All he could see were the towering trees, he hadn’t seen anything this tall, except for in the Yukon. Yet, he knew this wasn’t it, he wasn’t sure how but something told him it wasn’t.

There was a crack, it sounded as though someone had stepped on a branch and he looked in the direction it emanated from, “Hello?” he called, it was irrational to be afraid of a computer, or at least he thought it was. However, he was supposed to be alone, he was supposed to be in an isolated server. Fear welled up inside the Commander as he assumed a fighting stance, his eyes searching for the trespasser inside his mind. “Nathanial,” said the voice, it was clearer, deeper and in a distant way familiar.

He turned around quickly only for him to come face to face with the last person he ever expected to meet, the man who had first dares to create the legendary drive implemented in all modern Deep Space Ships.

Nathanial’s emerald green eyes widened as he took in the sight of the man who was a legend in the community. It was as though he were gazing into a mirror, one where he could see himself staring back. The man’s dark hair was spiked haphazardly, his beard was trimmed and he stood in a black button down shirt and black dress pants. His hands were in his pockets as his green eyes held a spark of curiosity and mirth, it was teasing and intoxicating. The man was tall and had a powerful frame, he seemed to tower over Nathanial.

“Hello, Nathanial,” he greeted.


	15. Keys and Puzzles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Greyson has made a major miscalculation and is now trapped in the room with someone he believed he knew. Terra Prime is even more dangerous than he first believed and it's members seem to extend beyond human. While their slogans say one thing the company they keep says much more. Trip finds what he believes is a fragment of the worm which Kate had sent to analyze, yet it doesn't seem like it and it's woven throughout the systems of the ship. Ironically the code its self is older than the ship as they begin to search the ship its self for answers. All they have to do is take a "Leap of Faith".
> 
> Kate seeks the answers and in order to get them, once again she must risk herself by hacking the only people with the answers. Yet, an unlikely party decides to assist her, one that she never believed would risk so much for her. Yet what they learn is even more alarming, just as the Gala is on the horizon.
> 
> Commander Stark finally meets the ghost in the machine, only to learn it isn't a ghost at all. That just what the machine is capable of is beyond his narrow parameters as he learns of it's true abilities.

The muzzle of a Walter PPK was pressed into the tender skin of the reporter’s neck, he could smell the scent of orchids and amber, a signature he had come to know well after all his nights wrapped around her. At some point Gardner had lowered his weapon, it seemed as though Sarah was running the show. His eyes fell on V’Las who had yet to leave the room, “No Admiral, I think I will be staying, I want to know how much he has seen,” he stated. Greyson’s dark brown eyes fell on the chilling gray pools that were narrowed at him, as always the gaze of the Vulcan unnerved him. Soval’s scrutiny was irritating but never this disturbing, at least Soval and Suran looked at him as though he were a living being, this man looked at him as though he were vermin, something to be killed. Never before had he seen such a look on the face of a Vulcan, it was unnerving.

Sarah looked to the Vulcan in question, “V’Las, you could blow this, Kruss is easily recognized and Greyson has been in the consulate. Leave. Now,” her tone was harsh, it left little space for argument. V’Las stood his ground, as always ignoring the demands of a human. Greyson felt as though he were a child trapped under the gaze of a School Master. The scrutiny in those silver eyes was enough to make him question if he was truly going to survive this. “Fine, we just have to get rid of him,” she stated darkly as she slowly circled him. She was smirking, he had played into her hands and was now in trouble, unlike Kate and Amanda he lacked weapons training. She snapped the fingers on her free hand and he found himself being surrounded by several members of her personal security team, she was certainly the CEO, that much he knew as true.

Greyson looked at Gardner who was watching this interaction with interest, his eyes flickering to Kruss occasionally, it was a look of distrust. He didn’t seem to understand it, Kruss seemed to be working with V’Las, and if it was Kruss it would explain the nearly unstoppable cyber attack on the consulate, if not they had a large issue, it would mean V’Las had a man on the inside. “Why are you working with the Vulcans if you do not like them?” asked Greyson, he figured that if he were going to learn anything then they would certainly indulge him prior to killing him. He just had to pray the transmitter in the other room would have enough battery for it and that he wasn’t moved to another location before being killed.

His eyes fell on the woman before him, the stranger he had slept with several times, someone he thought he had played only to learn that the deck was stacked against him. He sighed, in all his years of reporting, he didn’t seem to ever remember that the house almost always won in some shape or form. She smiled, “Competition,” was her reply. Greyson froze, that wasn’t a result he thought of. “With Vulcan technology around and the cultural exchange that T’Vok has been abdicating, it will demolish the competition in the market and create a state where success is no longer measured in stock price,” she stated. Greyson understood immediately, she would go broke, PRION was world renown in technology and she was securing a retirement plan.

A sly smile curled her lips, “Believe me when I tell you, I’ve seen what Vulcans can do both with and without their tech, it’s something we must learn to defend ourselves from,” she stated. Greyson stared, she sounded as though she had been brainwashed, but he also noticed the ticks that told him she was simply siding with the team she felt would win. It was all about survival since PRION had destroyed the contracts between Global Dynamics and Starfleet as well as driving seven other major technology firms toward bankruptcy, she was sitting at the top of the chain. “Both militarily and economically,” she stated. Greyson was silent, Vulcan’s economy had been booming prior to the incidents involving the weapons signatures being discovered by satellites,  the bombings, the hacking event, and even the current issue of the Vulcan being blamed for creating instability.

“You don’t want to kill them,” said Greyson flatly, it didn’t make sense to kill the Vulcans. Sarah was quiet and he felt the mussel of the gun press harder into his spine, he had a feeling he would bare a bruise on his neck due to the sheer pressure she was using on his neck. “It would be too simple, you intend to do worse,” he stated. Death was too simple, if she wanted to harm the Vulcans all she would have to do was assassinate Soval, while reaching the Ambassador with a MACCO around wasn’t simple, he also knew that with the right amount of money she could hire something five times more lethal than a MACCO. She wanted to destroy more than the Vulcans, he looked to Gardner and noticed not even he believed what he was saying.

It was as though they had rehearsed, it was odd, “We will do what we must, to ensure the security of Terra,” stated Gardner, while his words were loyal in selection his tone was not. There was something else brewing, something that no one in the room would speak of but stood out. His brown eyes flickered to cameras in the room; something in the back of his head told him that they were being watched by someone other than the hotel security boys. In fact he was certain of it, since they were carrying weapons around. “Right, and pinning the Vulcans and Andorians against one another, which will antagonize the Klingons and several other species is just a bonus,” he stated bluntly, there was little point in dancing around the topic. She was pinning two powerful adversaries against one another, and it was common knowledge that if those two went to war that the Klingons would attempt to take advantage of the unrest and would end up in the battles as well.

There was also the fact that with all of the issues involving the phantom signatures the Vulcan economy was starting to tremble with fear, the question was just how this all played out well for PRION and Starfleet. “What do you gain?” he asked Sarah and Gardner, it made little sense. Gardner was grinning it was something he had begun to realize nearly always had a dark ending. The pair were silent as he felt the gun pressing harder into his head, from where he sat none of them had anything to gain. V’Las had been exiled, and then paused, he had been exiled from Vulcan but still found a way to Earth, which should have been impossible, unless he was never an ally of Vulcan to begin with.

What Earth had to gain confused him, this would only result in damage occurring to the rest of the planets and would leave Earth defenseless, “You think that by pinning them all against one another you can simply come out on top by not participating,” he said in awe, the idea was certainly one that had worked for nearly a millennium, but the issue was if the Klingons were the ones that had managed to weather out the storm it would be impossible for them to win. V’Las grinned darkly, he knew the man wasn’t to be trusted, after all Soval looked truly disturbed to learn of his existence still. What ever Sarah and Gardner were up to, the results would most likely be the opposite of what they desired due to V’Las.

Yet, if there was one thing he had learned from Sarah it was that she had planned this to the letter, it made him wonder just what else she had in mind. It would be impossible for her to see the cross not coming, “Very good Greyson, I had a feeling you would be able to connect the dots,” she jeered, enjoying her new position of power over him. Her eyes bore into his and he could see the pure thrill of holding the gun to his head as she circled to the front. “Just what have you been up to Sarah?” he asked, his eyes narrowing and the charming smile had long since died. This game could cost them more than their world, but everyone else’s as well. She smirked as she placed her finger on the trigger, “Nothing, you needn’t worry,” she crooned, “You won’t live to see it after all.”

His time was up and he watched the gleam of pure excitement fill her eyes, even killing him brought her pleasure. “Madam, if I may?” asked a stiff voice. Greyson turned his attention to Kruss, the Vulcan had been silent during the exchange and he wasn’t sure if it was because he wanted to avoid being noticed in the room or if he truly had nothing to say. Greyson was even more curious than before as everyone in the room turned their attention to the Vulcan in question, clearly they had not given him a second thought. “The shot will be heard in the building and the blood will be difficult to remove from the run and may be used as incriminating evidence,” he stated.

Greyson rolled his eyes, of course the Vulcan cared about the mess and the chaos a gun shot would cause, not the fact that his life was being considerably shortened by a mad woman with a gun. She slowly lowered the weapon, a grimace twisted her features, obviously she had not thought of the implications of shooting someone in a public place. Sarah sighed as she holstered the weapon, “Well then, what do you suggest, we can’t allow him to live,” she stated, her tone was demeaning and he noticed how Kruss seemed unfazed. Kruss swept to her side, his robes whispering as he did so and replied, “It would be better if you allowed me to dispose of him, I have the means to do so quietly.” Kruss was volunteering to kill him, Greyson’s head snapped up and immediately he knew all too well just which side Kruss was playing for, V’Las. He grit his teeth as Sarah sighed and waved at him dismissively, “Fine, get rid of him and make sure no one finds him again,” she commanded.

Kruss nodded as she swept out of the room, “Now then, Gardner we have some business to conclude,” she crooned as she wrapped her arm around Gardner’s and began to walk out of the room, her hips swung tantalizingly as she did so. V’Las left the room behind him as well as Maizel leaving Kruss and Greyson. The Vulcan looked down at the man who was sitting before him, Greyson could feel the man’s gaze boring into him. There was no point in running from Kruss, he would have to battle through something that was three times stronger than him and was far faster. He bowed his head and said simply, “I knew you were a traitor.”

The Vulcan was silent he felt a very warm hand slip over his shoulder and then a sudden pain in his neck before falling forward, consciousness fleeing him in seconds as though it were a gust of wind. At least Kruss had chosen a less painful way to kill him than a bullet to the skull would have been.

~~vOv~~ 

Contingencies and variables both of them are important details when individuals are crafting plans. Both equally complicated and destructive if the conditions are wrong, this being especially true pertaining to escape plans. There were simply so many variables that it is impossible to determine every complication. Amanda sighed as she leaned against her desk, her mind wandered back to how vulnerable Kate had looked when she went to sleep and the tender touch of Soval, never before had she seen a Vulcan be tender with a human, let alone Kate. She wasn’t blind, she saw the way the two acted around one another, they were attracted to each other but too terrified to tell one another of their interest. Kate would never allow her self to be in a vulnerable position, not after what had happened the first time, and while Amanda trusted and respected Soval, it didn’t mean she was too comfortable with someone getting so close to Kate once again.

She had been there to pick of the shards of Kate’s life after she had been hurt the first time. Amanda closed her eyes to draw a breath only to remember the night vividly, it made her skin crawl. Never before had she seen Kate look so defeated, it was as though someone had ripped her arms off and dissected her soul.

_The image of the young girl on the shower room floor in a pool of her own blood mixed with the semen of a man she trusted, someone who was supposed to help her and protect her made Amanda angry. She growled as the image of a batter girl covered in long cuts and livid bruises assaulted her mind. Delicate limbs were sprawled lifelessly on the once pearl white tile floor as ice cold water pelted her skin, which had in turn become ashen and her lips an alarming blue. Angry welts covered her back from a whip, blood traveled down her thighs from tearing and the raw bands on her wrists and ankles were a clue as to what she had been subjected to. She could see once blond hair matted with blood as mascara ran from her eyes and vile purple bruises formed around her neck in the shape of familiar hand prints._

_That night when Amanda had gone in search of Kate, she never anticipated that sight, she thought Kate was asleep in the man’s bed and was prepared to tease her about having sex with the most desired Adjunct Professor as Berkley, only for such words to turn to ash in her mouth and churn her stomach. He wasn’t the romantic everyone craved, he was a monster. She could remember the feeling of glacial skin on her palms as she frantically searched for a pulse, her fingers slipping over slick skin. The smell of copper and sex filled her nose as she leaned closer, searching for proof, a sign that the young woman she saw as a best friend was indeed alive. The blood and semen in the water formed crimson ribbons as they washed away down the drain. Amanda felt a trace of the dampness through her jeans but ignored it as she searched. The anger that had simmered inside her soul that night, which still lingered long after she had brought Kate justice._

_It had taken what felt like hours to find it, which it was less than seconds, that slight rhythm that was the only evidence that life indeed still inhabited her. Amanda patted her pockets down only to realize her communicator was missing, she didn’t have a way to call for help. Without a second thought she lifted the prone form of her friend off the floor enough to wrap her in her jacket and proceeded to hook an arm under her knees and support Kate’s back. The entire time her mind had reeled just how she would make the man pay for this act. With every painful step as she sprinted to her car, in a rain that seemed to never stop, she grew ever closer to her car, praying she could save the young woman. The rain pelted her, yet she never felt it, she felt cold, angry and terrified all at the same time, a concoction of emotions that she hadn’t even felt after the death of her parents, and never desired to feel again._

_Amanda placed Kate on the passenger seat and drove swiftly through the city, the street flying by in a blur as the flittered danced under her command. Every so often she glanced at Kate, checking the color of her pallor skin and the rise and fall of her chest. Traffic was dense and she feared that she wouldn’t make it, she was trapped in a seemingly never ending line of flitters so she did the only thing she could think of, she sped through a yellow and caught the attention of a police officer. She continued to fly only to see the flashing of lights in the rearview mirror and for once in her life she was happy to be pulled over, she would take all the tickets in the world to save Kate._

_The cop was slow dismounting from his air cycle and she tapped her thumb against the controls anxiously and was tempted to get out of the vehicle but knew it would make it appear as though she had harmed Kate. The officer approached the window and bent down as he said, “Do you know why I-” he froze on the spot. His eyes were on Kate and he stated, “Stay here,” as he reached for his communicator. “I need an ambulance on 24 th and main, I have an unconscious and battered young woman, she’s lost a lot of blood,” he commanded as he dashed around the car and opened the door. He had taken his hat off and was wearing a pair of black latex gloves, suddenly he wasn’t an officer but someone trying to save a life. “What happened?” he asked quickly as he checked for a pulse. Amanda looked him dead in the eye and replied with confidence, “She was raped by an Adjunct at our college. I found her this way in the showers and forgot my communicator, so I was trying to get her to the hospital.” The officer nodded and she watched as he removed his jacket and began wrapping it around her, “She’s going into shock, what’s her name?” he asked. Amanda noticed the blood seeping through her coat and snatched a tee-shirt from her bag to stanch the bleeding, thanking her self for doing laundry, the blood quickly seeping through the threads forming morbid red flours on a once white shirt._

_“Kate, her name is Kate, she’s my best friend,” responded Amanda._

_The officer nodded, his eyes sullen but his voice was calm as he said confidently, “Hang in there Kate, help’s on the way, I promise.” In the distance she could hear the wail of a siren and noticed warmth spreading through her that she had long since forgotten. It was a blur as Kate was grabbed, hands slipping over her and removing the jackets from her, only to replaced them with bandages, it was a flurry of numbers and concerns. Amanda’s head spun as she battled the feeling of helplessness that swept over her, she knew it was going to be a long night, but this was going to be the longest and worst in her life._

_Once Kate was loaded into the Ambulance Amanda turned to the officer expecting at least nine tickets only for him to write her one, a speeding ticket, he handed it to her and said, “Come to court, I’ll reduce it there. Do you need a lift? I have someone here to drive your flitter to the station.” Shock wracked her mind as she looked at the man, none of the officers she had met would do such a thing for her and she wondered just what kind of man he was. She nodded numbly as she mounted the air cycle and gripped the officer’s waist, usually she would have grinned at the contact or aspect of having such an opportunity, but tonight Kate occupied her mind._

_The Officer flew through traffic lights flashing as he shadowed the Ambulance, never once flinching as he wove through the cars that parted ways allowing for their passage. The cold air should have hurt her skin, it should have made her cold, yet nothing did as the rain pelted her, all that mattered was her reaching Kate. The hospital glowed like a beacon of hope in the darkness as she watched the Ambulance be greeted with a crew of doctors and surgeons at the ready. The aircycle came to a stop yet Amanda couldn’t release the officer, she was shaking and even though her mind was screaming for her to go her body never responded. “Hey, Miss Cole,” the officer stated, his tone was firm but lacked the harsh edge she had expected. “Amanda,” he attempted once again, only then did she realize what she was doing and slowly unwound her limbs from him. Her frame shook as she dismounted the bike, the officer was quick to steady her and asked, “Will you be okay?”_

_Amanda wrapped her arms around herself and replied, “Ask me when this night is over.” He nodded as he replied, “Call dispatch and ask for Officer Pembroke,” he stated. Amanda nodded before dashing through the sliding glass doors, her senses were assaulted by the blinding florescent lights and potent cleaners they used. Frantically the brunet searched for someone and shouted at the desk, “Katharine Forrest, where is she!” her voice carried notes of fear and urgency resulting in a nurse pointing down the hallway, “THE OR AT THE END OF THE HALL!” Amanda waved as she sprinted in the direction that had been pointed._

_Her feet carried her down the hallway, with each step the double doors grew larger, and the reality of just how much danger Kate was in seemed to multiply exponentially. She skidded to a stop outside the doors, her eyes locked on them, it was the one place she couldn’t go. All she could do was wait and hope that what ever reason she had been brought in there was easily fixed. Amanda wasn’t religious, she didn’t go to church, she didn’t pray to god, yet that night she found herself sitting on her haunches, hands clasped before her praying. Praying that the surgeon on call that night had the wings of an angel stitched onto his back and the hands of god._

Amanda was startled out of the memory by a warm hand, her eyes snapped open to see the concerned gray eyes of Suran staring at her. It was odd to see emotions in them, yet over time she realized Vulcan’s weren’t as closed off as she thought. “Major are you alright?” he asked. It was odd and she wondered if he knew she wasn’t. She straightened in her chair, her drive to protect Kate at all costs renewed. Her friend was in more trouble this time than the last time and she had to prevent such things from occurring. “Yes,” she stated as she rose from her seat and pulled out her PADD, it was a sleek black one from GD, Soval had taken the liberty of getting one for Amanda as well and setting up a secure network, with Kate’s assistance.

In four strides she was at a holographic table and began to project and image, it was then she noticed the Andorian Ambassador with Commander Shran. Soval was still with Kate but she had a feeling he was the only one that could help her clever MACCO friend. “Okay, we know that things are turbulent and tonight is the Gala, I have our dresses, but I will tell you now we can’t carrying any serious weapons,” she stated. Shran’s expression twisted and he hissed, “Who decided that?” Amanda continued manipulating the blueprints on her PADD and replied, “Admiral Forrest.” There was silence in the room at the mention of his name, it wasn’t unusual he was the most respected Admiral of the group.

She pulled up the security lay out and began, “We have to worry about these guys, they can slip into any organization since we don’t know what they look like, other than being human,” she knew it wasn’t helpful but an escape plan was the best method to ensure they made it out alive. “I have several plans, all of which I need your help with. There is a chance we will have to leave the planet that night, not just Kate and I but all of you as well,” she stated.

Ambassador Krim growled and snapped, “I will not be scared off by pink skins.” Of course he would see humans as inferior even after seeing what they could do, her head snapped up. Her eyes hardened, cutting the Ambassador off with a steel glare, “Don’t, I’m not here to start a war, I’m here to prevent it. There are times to fight a battle and others to flee it to fight another day, this is one of those occasions where fleeing is a better option,” she stated. It felt strange to quote the girl in the next room working on an impossible code and hacking into one of the most secure networks on Earth. Yet, she also knew that Kate’s wisdom would be the only thing to get her through this, Kate was a sniper she could see opportunities others missed by hanging above the rest, Amanda was an up-close and personal fighter, one that was focused on efficiency and speed.

Ambassador Krim looked to Suran who nodded and added, “I have several things prepared in case you and Kate must leave Earth.” Amanda nodded as she pointed to the diagram she was about to start when Shran said softly, “Can we get copies? Just in case something goes wrong, we can rendezvous with you later.” Krim stiffened, his face turning an even more vivid shade of blue, a clear indication of his irritation at the suggestion and just how angry he was about the situation in general. “Vulcan is our long time enemy,” he snapped.

Commander Shran turned on point, slamming his hand against the silver boarder of the table as he did so and hissed, “But Humans are our allies, they have healed our relationship with them, we can’t abandon them now.” Ambassador Krim’s eyes narrowed at the brazen nature of Commander Shran’s statement, Amanda could tell that this wasn’t normal that Shran had always done as instructed. Shran looked even more irate as he noted the Ambassador glare at Suran, “We are here for Andoria,” he reasoned.

Shran’s fingers clenched into a fist his knuckles turned white, an odd sight against his usually icy blue skin. “Who has made a friend of Admiral Forrest,” he supplied as his defense. It was odd to hear the name of the Admiral once more, but this time as a reason to keep peace, as opposed to the Coalition of Planets or even Star Fleet. “He had supported us before anyone else, I will not abandon his daughter who has helped us in the shadows and is risking everything for us. Or Major Cole, who is just trying to protect us, I’m sorry but we have honor, it may not be as well known as a Klingon or Vulcan. But this,” he pointed to the Ambassador, “This I will not budge on. You will help them, or you can try to find another group of people willing to protect us.”

A look of irritation swept over Ambassador Krim’s features, it was then followed by realization as he looked at Amanda and then to Suran. “Fine, get the papers, but we will never tell the others of this,” he stated. Shran nodded as he slowly backed away, his fingers uncoiling from the fist he had formed, “Noted.” Amanda quickly noted the way Suran’s lips curled slightly, a small smile that wasn’t noticed by the other two, he was clearly happy that they weren’t the only ones trying to protect both of them.

~~vOv~~

Trip strode through the halls of the Enterprise, confident in his every step he took, he was finally going to tell T’Pol how he felt. While he was still nervous and the butterflies that had someone gotten into his stomach seemed to flutter non stop he knew this had to occur. He quickly buzzed T’Pol’s door and waited patently, he was holding a PADD that he had retrieved from Engineering, they were the most recent stats of his engines, which he was happy to declare in full working order. Yet, this didn’t mean the entire ship was, he had gotten complaints form Malcolm that his sensor array was sluggish and at times unresponsive. While he didn’t typically take sluggish hardware as a priority, since it was connected to the sensor array it quickly was at the top of his list.

That morning he had sent an Ensign to see if it was something as basic as a poor link or loose wire, he had yet to hear the report, but put little thought into it. This wouldn’t be the first time one of the new updates to the hardware didn’t load properly. He waited by the door for a soft call for him to enter, in his mind he was rehearsing what he was going to say, he had to say it just right and still be himself, that was what Sarek had advised after all. He waited only to hear a chirp from his PADD. Trip heaved a sigh as he looked at the screen, he had hoped that he wouldn’t have to deal with yet another issue in Engineering involving consoles or nonsense that was easily fixed by people not mucking with things they didn’t understand.

His eyes flittered over the message and he froze, it was a portion of code, confusing and oddly reminded him of the worm they had gotten to look at. T’Pol’s door opened as he looked it over and read the note attached, “What the? It’s in our system, how is that even possible?” he asked in confusion as he looked at the code, he would have passed it off as a fragment, remnants of a larger piece but it had been running in the background of several scanner systems. “Commander?” asked T’Pol, her eyebrows lifted and he looked up at her. Suddenly asking her out didn’t take precedence this did. He turned the PADD to her and responded, “That fragment was found in our Sensor Array, it’s what’s been messing with Malcolm’s readings, I had an Ensign look at it,” he stated.

The Science Officer held her hand out expectantly for the PADD, which he handed to her quickly, “Come in,” she said off handedly as she walked over to her desk and pulled up her main monitor, she had made notes of the first time they had encountered the code, and while he had managed to keep up with her and Sarek he had a feeling she was just as concerned about containment as he was. The last thing they needed to be was to be so far out in space and with down systems. Trip crossed his arms as he rocked onto the balls of his feet before settling on his heels, looking at the floor, his mind a flurry of theories and ideas as to what they were dealing with.

“You don’t think that is the result of us looking at the code Kate sent, right?” he asked after a moment. He thought that the code was harmless and knew the MACCO was good, it wasn’t odd for him to hear about a new programmer and with her name she quickly became a legend in the field. If it was still live, he had a feeling Kate wouldn’t have known, but a worm playing dead simply wasn’t possible. Worms weren’t alive to begin with, and playing possum with a computer program was as idiotic as it sounded. T’Pol looked to the PADD once more and concluded, “No, while it is similar in nature, this is different.”

Now Trip was interested, he didn’t think it looked as lethal as the first form of this new code they had encountered, but he certainly didn’t want to take the risk of finding out without her taking a look. “Okay, so how did we get it, and how long has it been running in the background, we have some of the most advanced security protocols in Space, well at least that was what Commander Stark bragged about,” he stated as he walked over to the consol and looked at the screen, T’Pol had long since transferred the data from the PADD to her consol and was comparing them with an analysis as well as examining portions she knew were different. “They were created by the same person,” she stated. That part he knew just by how it had behaved, but the question was why and what this new code did.

If it was harmful and designed to sabotage systems they would have dealt with more than sluggish and unresponsive systems, those kinds of systems were designed to destroy links and render certain applications useless, such as shields, weapons and life support. “I’m not sure, I can’t seem to find an upload time, or installment date,” she stated as several programs timed out. Trip hung his head and heaved a sigh, “Okay, how many systems is it in?” he asked. T’Pol gave him a pointed look before responding, “I’m still running the scan.”

Trip hummed as he leaned against her desk and crossed his arms, “Estimate, how many systems are we talking?” T’Pol never liked estimating and he knew it wasn’t the Vulcan way, they were keen on ensuring that they had all the facts before they came out with just a number. That was where they weren’t like humans, they were precise, measured and calculated as a people, estimates were for those that were still impulsive, at least in their minds. “I am not comfortable with making such a motion,” she replied tightly, as always proving his theory correct. Not that he was disappointed, there was a part of him that was oddly satisfied that he could read her like an open book.

He was about to say something when the Captain’s voice cracked through the intercom, “Archer to T’Pol,” she said commanded. T’Pol strode over to the wall and hit the response as she said, “Yes Captain?” As always ready to assist him, then again it was why they were there. Trip continued to look at the data as she responded, still uncertain as to just how the program entered their system and how long it had been there. “I’m looking for Trip, my consol is having issues and I need him to take a look,” he stated. Trip and T’Pol looked at one another as Trip called, “We’ll be right there.” T’Pol released the intercom and was quick to snatch her PADD from her desk. Trip was nearly out the door before she was, it was odd how they seemed to walk so quickly in time with one another. “If this is in the Captain’s consol, then it could be pretty far spread, we did handle it on the bridge it may have attached it’s self to the systems there, even if it isn’t part of the worm,” he began to theorize, “it may have allowed for the other program to be uploaded.” It was far fetched but he had come up with stranger.

T’Pol looked at him as she turned the corner and responded, “Perhaps it is simply a malfunction,” as always she was attempting to keep the theorizing to a minimum unless there was evidence to support the basis of a theory. Trip resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her, one day he would get her to take a leap of faith, one day. Till then he would just have to deal with it. They were standing outside the Captain’s quarters and the door immediate opened. Archer sat with his glasses perched on his nose glaring at the consol as though it had insulted him, then again it was his Father’s ship in many ways, so there was a chance he did see this incident as an insult in an odd way.

Trip quickly began checking the wiring while T’Pol set up a scan on the consol. “Nothing loose here,” he replied as he lay on the floor looking up at various wires and switches in the consol. The Vulcan Science officer was oddly silent, and Trip looked up to see her dark eyes narrow as she examined the screen, it was a look of confusion and intrigue, clearly something was different. The PADD chirped and she turned her attention to Trip, “The scan is complete,” she stated. Tripp was at her side in seconds, his blue eyes falling on the screen only to see a great deal of red, his jaw popped open as he took the PADD from her hands and began to scroll through the list of infected systems.

“Scan?” asked Archer, “What scan? Is this a test Trip?” he asked. Trip was preoccupied with examining the damage that T’Pol stepped in gracefully, “No, Lieutenant Reed had reported issues with our Sensors, which was seen to by an Engineering Ensign when a program was found running in the background,” she explained taking Trip’s PADD and using it to show the Captain what had been found. “Commander Tucker brought it to me and we had run several scans to determine it’s intent,” she stated. Trip finally tore his eyes from the screen, “We don’t know what it does,” he stated as he approached the Captain, suddenly the fear of igniting the Captain’s temper was very real. It was his job to make sure that not only the hardware worked but the software did as well, how he had missed this fragment confounded him.

He slowly turned the PADD to Archer and stated, “But it’s in every system, I’ve never seen it before and I have no idea what it does.” The Captain’s face shifted and he watched an array of emotions pass over his features, none of them settling for a long period, the few he caught were anger, confusion and fear. Obviously he understood the fears of Trip and T’Pol, the question was what they would do next. “Okay, we need to know what it does, should it be there in the first place?” he asked. Trip shook his head, there was no way something like that should be in the ship’s mainframe, he hadn’t seen code like that on the _Enterprise_ before and knew that Stark was brilliant but creating something that intricate wasn’t up his alley.

Archer looked to T’Pol and stated, “Get Sarek and get to work on figuring this out, don’t tell anyone just yet.” Panic was the last thing he needed this far out, they may have been flying as fast as possible to reach Earth but the notion that their systems could fail without warning, in space with no allies around was not ideal. Trip nodded and quickly left T’Pol didn’t seem to argue, and he noticed how she became obsorbed in the code as well, “Is there anyone we know with the ability to write this?” she asked. Trip was about to shake his head when he paused midstep.

He was wrong, he had seen something like it before, a long time ago. His eyes lit up in recognition as he responded, “I was wrong, I have seen something like this and the worm,” he stated. T’Pol was confused as the Engineer began marching off toward his quarters, “Come on, I think I might know something that can help us, or at least an idea that will give us a little understanding of what we are dealing with,” he stated. He had forgotten about the information simply due to the fact that it was essentially a footnote in a text book, a note made in a margin that nodded to the creator of their ship and someone that had shaped Earth’s history in ways no one could have predicted.

Trip slipped into his room and noticed how oddly not one but two Vulcans had followed him, apparently T’Pol had grabbed Sarek on the way. He had been so wrapped up in remembering which book it was in he hadn’t thought much of it. The book shelf was rather empty, they had left for space prior to their scheduled launch but there was one text book that was essential to the ship, one book that never left it. He pulled the paper manual down and looked at the cover, it was yellowing and the corners were dog-eared from use, but he noticed the penmanship all over it. “This is an original copy of the ship’s schematics,” he explained as he flicked it open, it wasn’t necessarily a text book but had been treated as such at the Academy. It was covered in four distinct forms of penmanship, two he recognized, one as his own and another as Commander Stark, the other two he didn’t.

He thumbed through the pages until he found it, oddly it was in the handwriting that was the most faded and the tightest script he had seen. It was in a margin on the bottom as though it didn’t belong. He had seen it before, lines of obscure code written in the margins of the book, but while a student it seemed to be nonsense. “Look familiar?” he asked as he turned the book to them. T’Pol stared at the script and then the program, “The first five lines,” she replied, “who owned this book before you?” That was the question he had for Stark and he remembered the ever so cryptic answer, “Someone that knew the ship even better than Henry Archer ever did.”

While the answer seemed vague it gave them a starting point, the writing didn’t belong to Henry Archer, he had seen the Engineers penmanship, and something told him that the pages were the only ones that weren’t printed on a modern printer. They looked older and were more delicate than the rest. “How much of it is in the book?” asked Sarek curiously, clearly impressed by the age of the paper and the fact it had been crammed into a margin as though it were a basic footnote. “There are 67 lines of it, it’s small,” he stated. It was then Sarek looked to the code, “It’s the same size as what was in the system of the ship,” he replied, “How old is the book?”

That was the question, the book was newly printed but the paper that the code was on and those schematics was older, it was of higher quality and showed more wear, “The book is newish, but these pages, I don’t think they match the rest of it,” he stated. Sarek held his hand out for the book and Trip handed it to him without a second thought, since their talk he felt more comfortable around him. “The only way to know for certain is to test it, however the paper and ink do not match those used in the rest of the book,” he remarked as he examined the pages without the writing.

Trip crossed his arms, he was the only person with that copy, the others were brand knew, Stark had given him this one, and the reason was unknown to him. “Have you ever disassembled the book and only examined those pages?” asked Sarek keenly. That wasn’t something he had thought of, he was always worried about keeping it together, and he never would have thought to disassemble it. Sarek approached his desk and arced a brow, a silent question to which he nodded. If this meant finding the answers he would be happy to.

The book was apart quickly, as the Vulcan did so with ease but did so in a fashion to prevent the pages from being torn. The rest of the pages were stocked in order and they looked at the pages as they were spread out on the floor. They were all in a different order and seemingly random, yet another puzzle. “What is it with the Starks and puzzles? They make you guys look easy,” he stated as he sat on the floor and looked at the pages. Sarke nodded in accord and T’Pol stared at each sheet. His eyes flickered to the code and he sighed, it was there and identical they knew that much but it was as though they were missing something. T’Pol’s brow furrow and before he could ask what it was she picked up a sheet and held it to the light, it was then he noticed something else, something different. It looked like an imprint in the paper, something under the notes and schematics.

Trip leaned in and squinted, there was something there but he had no idea what it was, “What is that?” he asked. Sarek grabbed another sheet and held it up to the light, “I have one here as well,” he stated. Trip looked at it and noticed it was a series of curls and lines, an odd pattern he didn’t recognize. “Does it mean anything to you?” he asked them both in earnest. The pair of Vulcans looked to one another and then at the pages, “It could be a code, possibly but we need more to determine that,” he stated. Rapidly they were holding the pages to the light and then Trip asked, “Want to go to the Med Bay?” T’Pol was confused until Trip stated, “Phlox has light boards lighting the back wall, we can line the pages up and then determine a solution.”

“That is a reasonable idea,” stated Sarek, he could hear the note of amusement in his voice as he said so. With that the pages were picked up, he watched the pages fall into place only for two to stick together and he watched the pages turn another color. “Hold on,” he all but shouted and pointed to the stack. “Look,” he stated. T’Pol pulled the pages out and noticed the sheet was turning amber and oddly transparent the dots and lines were more pronounced than the writing. “Count the dots and put them in order,” he said as they looked at the pages again, only this time they didn’t stick.

It was an idea and he began to wonder if it was a strange coincidence, “Never mind,” he stated and rubbed the back of his neck in annoyance. Sarek looked at the pages and then the code, “What if the order is in the code?” he asked. This was the first time he had heard a Vulcan theorize, “These two numbers are in the code, if we put the pages in the right order they should all stick together, or at least some will,” he stated. Trip nodded as T’Pol opened the code, again they tried to stack the pages atop one another, only to fail once more. Trip groaned as he tossed them to the floor, only for the corner of a page to stick to one of the pages and he watched it curl. The three stared at it and he wondered absently just what this was printed on. Trip picked up another piece and tossed it in the air watching as it fluttered, sticking to the other, covering it partial, the circles and bars becoming even more prominent.

“How is that a solution?” asked T’Pol in confusion. Trip grinned and replied, “A leap of faith,” and shook his head, it was beautiful the only way to break it was to take a leap of faith and throw the pages into the air. It was definitely a Stark idea, he picked up the remaining pages and tossed them, listening to them rustle as they fell, before molding themselves in place around an invisible sphere all 33 pages were connected and turned into an amber globe, the rest of the text was irrelevant as the circles and bars seemed to glow. “What kind of tech is this?” he asked as he looked at the new item.

T’Pol looked at the sphere and then to the code, “I do not know,” was her reply. The circles and dashes seemed to exist on their own and Trip ran a hand through his hair, yet again he was facing a new puzzle, it was strange how something like a small code running in the ship was connected to a code crafted by someone prior to Commander Stark. Sarek looked over the pages and then picked up a PADD, “Who would have a better understanding of the this technology?” he asked. Trip sighed as he crossed his arms, there were hardly any experts in this kind of technology, it was advanced and yet older than the main printing of the manual, a contradiction. In reality the only person that could help was Commander Stark, he drew a breath and responded, “Commander Nathanial Stark, I have his contact info in case we had issues with the engines,” he stated. The pair were confused as Trip pulled out his PADD.

“The engines may have been partially designed by Henry Archer, but the man behind the ship it’s self and the principle wasn’t him or Cockran, but someone else,” he explained as he connected to the server, he was happy that they were within range of the subspace beacons that had been scattered as the Enterprise went to ensure they were still able to communicate with Star Fleet. He watched the screen patiently, only to notice the calling being redirected, “What the?” he asked as another protocall took over. He was being hijacked, and he watched as the screen in their room flickered. His eyes fell on T’Pol’s monitor in utter confusion, “Commander,” stated T’Pol, a warning flaring in her voice as she did so. Trip swept his fingers over the screen in an attempt to stop it only to find himself locked out, who or what ever had taken over his PADD was taking over her system as well.

Trip glared as he quickly tried to override it, “I can’t stop it, I’ve never seen anything like this,” he stated. Finally it stopped, he found himself staring at a young woman with her hair down. It was golden blonde and so long he wondered how she maintained it. Pale and long fingers danced with grace in the air as she glanced to the side from time to time, her tee shirt clung to her and lifted slightly to show a minute trace of skin on her back. His eyes fell on her jeans and he noticed how she seemed to point her toes while her legs were crossed her heels touching the rung of the stool she was on.

He was about to call out to her when he heard her say, “Soval, I’m in.” Soval, he froze she had just said Soval, there was only one man he knew named Soval and that was Ambassador Soval of Vulcan. Trip knew that Kate had been appointed his permanent body guard, but the room they were in didn’t look like the consulate and under no circumstance would the Ambassador allow for those formalities to be dropped, he had been around the Vulcans long enough to know that. With ease the Ambassador’s imposing form entered the frame and he looked over her shoulder, he was dressed in basic robes, he had never seen the man in anything less than the regal Ambassadorial robes he favored on diplomatic missions, yet there he stood wrapped in an earthy red robe with a black tunic and black trousers underneath. His hair was combed perfectly but the air of formality which had always surrounded him had dissipated.

Kate opened a file and he stared at the images, only to wonder why he was redirected, as she skimmed through the files he noticed the logo of PRION on the bottom. Trip’s blood went cold as he realized the scheme, “What the hell are you doing at the Andorian Consulate Katharine Samantha Forrest!” he roared, unable to contain his shock and anger any longer. He could tolerate the relaxed air between her and the Ambassador they had been working together long enough but this was off, especially since Vulcan and Andorian were in a very tedious alliance to begin with.

Kate whipped around, her blond hair swirling about her as she did so, “Trip?” she asked curiously. The Engineer crossed his arms and asked, “I asked what the hell you’re doing in the Andorian Consulate with files I know were not loaned to you by PRION. You aren’t in trouble are you?” his voice held an edge, as he watched the Admiral’s daughter look at Soval, he could tell she was contemplating lying to him and wasn’t going to have that. “Kate, don’t you dare even think of lying to me,” he stated, ignoring the look that had been shared between Sarek and T’Pol. He knew he was being harsh and perhaps crossing the line between friend and controlling guardian but this wasn’t a laughing matter. PRION was powerful and one misstep could get them all killed. 

~~vOv~~ 

Kate cringed at the use of her full name, Soval couldn’t help but notice how her demeanor had changed once it was shouted. He watched her slowly retreate as though she were a child again, he knew it was risky but he didn’t need an Engineer from Archer’s crew to destroy all their work. He had met Trip once before and wasn’t impressed, Henry Archer was brilliant and Commander Stark was one of the finest ship designers he had ever seen and that included Vulcan ones. He knew the Stark name and had seen it’s technology, but could tell this wasn’t about that. This was about chastising a young woman who was putting her life on the line for them.

Kate whipped around, furry burned in her eyes she was being interrupted by Trip just after getting into PRION and sifting through some recent files and memos, the best way to determine what they were up against was to look at the privet communications between Gardner and the head of PRION. His eyes fell on Kate who was sitting tall and he noticed the precence of T’Pol, his former aid and Sarek. “Live long and Prosper,” he said formally as he spread his fingers in the familiar Ta’al. Sarek and T’Pol mirrored the motion and Trip simply nodded a little. He looked at Sarek and asked, “Sarek, how did you come to be aboard the Enterprise?” his tone was soft but he began to wonder if something had occurred on Vulcan that resulted in his immediate dispatch. Soval noticed the young man seemed to be on edge, he was flustered and his eyes flickered to T’Pol. Clearly he had done something.

“Osu,” he began and Soval noticed the fear in the young man’s eyes, “I am not here officially.” Soval was quiet and then remembered a report of a prototype vanishing in the night. Of course T’Pau was upset by this, even if she wouldn’t tell him directly, now he understood the emotions that had been present at the time in her tone, her son had been involved, “The prototype is destroyed,” he stated, there was little point in dancing around the topic. Sarek nodded as he looked at them, he noted the look of guilt in his eyes, the ship was Vulcan’s fastest and he had destroyed it. Yet, he had a feeling that the reason it had been stolen was because it was the fastest and he had sought to reach the Earth in time to do what ever it was he had taken as his mission. “Sarek, your reasons are yours, as long as you are alive and functioning,” he stated.

The young Vulcan slowly relaxed, in reality there was more than enough tension in the air and Kate quickly turned the panel and placed the image on the table as she worked through the database, “Sorry guys but I don’t have a lot of time, someone will catch me at some point,” she stated as her fingers danced, keeping away from the many barriers attempting to control her movements. She was working once more and Soval stood at her side skimming files as he went looking for anything that could indicate an adjustment had been made or information pertaining to the project. “We need some assistance pertaining to a fragment of code that had been found in the Enterprise’s systems, as well as an object created while we attempted to determine the code’s purpose and origin,” Sarek explained.

Soval turned his attention to the screen and allowed for Kate to continue her search, the code flickered onto the screen it was just like the one they had gotten on the tablet, similar in construct, “Does it adapt?” asked Kate after glancing to it, only to continue her search through their database. Sarek drew a breath and replied, “No, not this one.” Kate hummed as she continued to work on her current task, he could tell that she no longer was interested in the fragment, she had more concerning things to deal with, and he couldn’t blame her with how recent events had unfolded.

His eyes fell on the sphere and he asked, “What is that?” T’Pol was the one who spoke it was unsual to see her in a state of pure confusion and curiosity, “We don’t know, it is the result of pages from a manual, but the pages themselves are not truly part of the same print, they appear to be older in origin,” she replied. Kate was looking over a design when she looked at the structure of it, her lips parted and Soval swore he saw recognition light up her face. In seconds Kate was on her feet, “Scan the sphere and send it to me,” she demanded, clearly not asking. T’Pol blinked before sweeping the scanner over it, capturing the image in all it’s detail, all the while Kate was comparing the sphere to the program and the code, “It’s a cipher, I just need the key to use it,” she stated, “Once I have those I can use the cipher.”

Trip looked at her and asked, “What would the key look like?” his voice was tight as he began looking over the code an attempt to assist her. Soval was continuing to read the memos when he froze, his mind swirled at the mention of four dreaded letters, TAPP.

His hands froze in the air as he looked at the information and noticed the files attached, TAPP was in existence and someone was using it. Of all the technology they could be using they had gained access to TAPP. He could remember the fires and the battle to get them to stop using the dreaded technology, he had been terrified of the results of such a thing. Even though he knew Forrest had used it, he watched the man try to put the world right, to change it for the better. He could remember the disgust in the man’s own eyes as he told him of the truth. PRION had managed to acquire it; this meant that no one was safe.

Soval had seen first hand the damage the technology had done in the hands of an over zealous Star Fleet, it had nearly destroyed them. Commander Stark had been part of the project and he could remember the results. The heads of the division sung praises for the advanced weapons that had been designed by the subjects, their ability to break through firewalls and provide what they had considered protection, which in actually was nearly enslaving a bulk of the population that didn’t seem to realize it was even happening. Those who had caught onto this concept vanished or would become trapped within the complex matrix that was created in the name of security. The Ambassador had watched as they raided laboratory after laboratory, only to learn of people trapped being inside a mainframe were being allowed to determine the value of life and even the movements of governments. This group had the ability to transform a computer that was faster than even those on Vulcan into a force that could mold society as it pleased, and society not even recognize it.

 The fires that had raged as the empire fell haunted him, he could remember the smell of death that lingered in the air around the bases and the disgrace that surrounded humanity. The few subjects that had survived were either unable to function fully or had found ways to protect society from this force. Commander Nathaial Stark was one of the few who had escaped, yet rather than bringing the young man into the fold as Forrest had been ordered he watched as the Admiral played a dangerous game to protect humanity from it’s self.

It was averis that had destroyed them, averis for power, it was insatiable as humans were in contact with other species. While the project had existed before that he had no idea who had built it first. He opened the file and began to read, the conversation flittering in the background as Kate explained the nature of what she was looking for. He had been wrong, TAPP was far worse than he had imagined it, and what Forrest had found. Forrest had believed it to be as simple as a mainframe, but from what PRION was doing it was far more, it had excelled beyond such primitive parameters. They were working toward something even more dangerous, allowing the mind to connect with even more than a computer. His mind wandered back to V’Lor, they were weaponising the minds of individuals and hoping to reach further, to use the mind as a conduit for advanced research.

Soval’s hands shook, the notes and ideas for this research terrified him. Humanity desired to understand the delicate workings of time and the universe, not even Vulcans had such knowledge, with that they could easily destroy all that stood in their way. They were beyond simply hacking and controlling systems with this technology, they wanted to control others with it, to manipulate other sentient beings, and then learn the secrets of the Universe, secrets that not even the Vulcan Science Academy sought to learn.

“Key,” said Sarek and Soval was drawn out of his thoughts as he heard the shifting of robes. He glanced to the screen to see a black box, “Major, what about this?” he asked as he held the box up. Kate was silent and Soval stared, it was certainly made by Stark, his eyes followed the contours, it reminded him of the pyramid. Kate looked at the cube and asked, “Stark?” The Vulcan blinked before nodding in affirmation. Soval’s lips quirked at the corners, so Stark had gotten it to Vulcan, now how it had gotten there was a mystery to him, one he hoped Sarek would explain upon his arrival. “We are unable to read it,” stated Sarek, Kate heaved a sigh and rubbed her temples, her frustration was nearly palpable and he could tell this was warning on her. It was then he looked to the time, they would have to get ready for the Gala.

Amanda had taken the liberty of purchasing a dress for Kate, something that she believed appropriate. While Soval may not have been a fan of Amanda’s wardrobe, he had a feeling whatever she chose would show not only her beauty but preserve her elegance. “How soon until you arrive?” she asked after a moment and Soval quickly transferred the files to his PADD on TAPP, he would discuss it later. He didn’t want to throw off their evening and as soon as she learned their estimated time of arrival he would have to remind her of their evening.

“Two days from now,” replied Trip, he didn’t sound very pleased but Soval knew it was due to issues involving the loose code. They were probably pushing the engines as hard as possible without risking burn out. While the Enterprise was fast, it wasn’t one of their ships, his own privet vessel could easily outstrip Enterprise by traveling at Warp 7. Of course, he would never tell them of that fact. While it was less than ideal, it would have to do. “Okay, tell Archer I said hello and bring that key, if we are going to crack this I’ll need it,” she stated. Trip nodded, his eyes sparkled as he did so, “Good luck tonight at the Gala, Amanda probably picked quite a dress for you,” he stated before hanging up.

Realization crossed the MACCO’s face, it was quickly followed by dread and he suppressed a chuckle. If there was anything he had learned about the MACCO it was that she dispised press attention, and yet she was protecting him. He watched her continue looking through memos and noticed how she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she did so. As always she was attempting to figure out what the next move it was one of the many things he liked about her. Dark brown eyes fell on a far screen, flashing in the corner was a notice, there was another IP and it didn’t belong to either the Andorians of Vulcans. “Katharine, it’s time to go,” he stated urgently, he had been so busy with TAPP that he hadn’t noticed she had been tagged. “What?” he asked incredulously, he knew she was looking for more incriminating evidence.

Soval’s fingers were flying in an attempt to bounce their signal further and faster, “You’ve been spotted, pull out now,” he commanded. Kate was quick to begin logging out, the program they were using to track her was swift and gaining on him as he bounced her around the globe and even to portions of space and other stations. “Kate,” he warned as she attempted to pulled out, his eyes falling on a screen that she was fighting to close. “I can’t get it to unlatch!” she panicked, he watched true fear flood the brilliant girl. She was trying all she could but the server wasn’t disconnecting, she had been snared. Shran burst into the room following the Ambassador, “PRION has announced its systems have been compromised, what the hell, have you been doing in here?” asked Shran.

Now the game was really on to log out, the window wouldn’t release and he noticed a special protocol, similar to one she had used with the worm, it was designed to trace the IP and not release it until the trace was finished. “I can’t get out,” she panicked, her voice was high pitched and he realized then in that moment she was still a terrified child. Before he could attempt to calm her Kate was off the stool and snagged Shran’s phaser. There was a whirl of motion and he listened to the shattering of glass and watched the hologram die before his eyes.

Dark eyes traveled from the table to Kate’s steel gaze, she seemed to have regained her composure and did what she deemed necessary. “Solved,” she said softly before returning the phaser to Shran, “I’ll replace it.” Shran laughed at her, and Ambassador Krim looked startled, clearly he didn’t know humans as well as he thought he did. It wasn’t a surprise the Ambassador wasn’t known for working closely with humans he proffered to hole himself up in the consulate. “Pink skin, you’re really something,” snorted Shran in a amusement before he began to laugh, the sound was manic and made Soval wonder if there was even a point in time that Shran wasn’t insane.

She hummed as she swept her fingers over the screen, “We need to get ready for the Gala,” she stated absently. Soval knew Amanda and Suran were waiting for them, he drew a breath before nodding. He would share his information with her about TAPP later, they had to get to the Gala and through the night. The Gala was a massive event and it wasn’t just one where individuals of prestige flaunted titles but also one where connections were made. Terra Prime would certainly make a move on the massive collection of diplomats and dignitaries, it was convenient. From what they had learned so far, this group was powerful and had resources, his only question was just how far those resources could stretch.

Ambassador Krim nodded and stated, “Major Cole has run us through protocols and we will be on alert, we have also informed the Denobulans, the Tellarites would never believe us, but I know Kessil will,” as always the pair of MACCOs were several steps ahead. They just had to make it through the night and keep everyone safe, it wasn’t impossible but Soval knew already the risk, after all they weren’t even sure how far PRION had gotten in tracking the IP.

They were quick to return to the car and he drove deftly to the consulate, the entire time he began to question if PRION had found them and how he would tell Kate of what her father had done. It was strange but he found himself wishing that Max was present to explain just how the situation had began, only to realize how illogical a thought it was. He would have to explain it himself, regardless of the discomfort it would cause him as he shattered her knowledge of the man she had known her father to be, as opposed to the truth of the man he really was.

~~vOv~~ 

_Nathanial’s emerald green eyes widened as he took in the sight of the man who was a legend in the community. It was as though he were gazing into a mirror, one where he could see himself staring back. The man’s dark hair was spiked haphazardly, his beard was trimmed and he stood in a black button down shirt and black dress pants. His hands were in his pockets as his green eyes held a spark of curiosity and mirth, it was teasing and intoxicating. The man was tall and had a powerful frame, he seemed to tower over Nathanial._

_“Hello, Nathanial,” he greeted._

 

There was only one person it could be and his jaw hit the floor, it was impossible. The man was isolated, or at least he was supposed to be. “Dr. Nathan Stark,” he whispered in shock as he looked at the man who had forged their future with his own hands and was one of the greatest minds of the era. He smirked, clearly noting the other’s shock as he held his hand out, “Come now Nathanial, did you really expect anything different?” he asked. The Commander reached out and slowly touched the hand of the elder Stark, his eyes widened as the trees slowly were covered with snow. The cold biting into his skin, his fingers turning blue and he looked up to see the flakes falling. Never before had anything been this accurate, it was the flaw of the first to not be able to feel cold and the fingers not turn a different color. The flakes fell into his hair and hit his face, Nathanial closed his eyes and inhaled, the scent of the pines and the way in which his feet slipped in his boots.

The winter sun was smothered by the clouds as the white flakes danced through the air with grace. “How?” he asked as he turned his attention to Nathanial only to realize he wasn’t looking up at trees but sky scrapers. His head was spinning, how the elder was doing this alarmed him, he could smell the pines, listen to the voices of carolers and looked over to see streets decked in joyous decorations for Christmas. Dr. Stark smirked as he replied, “Who do you think created it?” Instantly it made sense as they flickered through images, but he still didn’t understand entirely how it worked.

“It works because we are different, like a very small portion of the population,” he replied, it was then the Commander realized he was dressed in a white track suit, yet no one noticed. His emerald gaze never left the older scientist as he slipped his hands into his pockets. A lazy smirk curled the Physicist’s lips as he noted the confusion, obviously this man was the master of this technology but as to how he could have been its creator and just what made it work had been a mystery to nearly all. He was about to ask when he noticed a young blonde walking by, her arms wrapped around herself.

Instantly he froze, she had the same figure as Kate Forrest, the Major he had helped at the Crystal Palace. His lips parted, a question dying on them as he watched her turn her attention to a family walking by, a look of pure pain crossed her features as she continued to walk through the bustling streets, passing the parents, the lovers, the joyous children and every piece of evidence that Christmas had been arriving. He was about to call out to her when he noticed how she didn’t even seem to realize he existed. Nathainal paused, he didn’t remember this, he hadn’t even seen her before that evening in the rave, he had only heard her name.

His head snapped to the elder Stark and asked, “What is this?” The elder chuckle, it was deep and seemed to reverberate in his head. He rocked back on his heels before turning on his heel and began walking away. Nathanial scrambled after him and asked once more. “You didn’t think it was all code did you?” he asked. Nathanial froze, staring at the sight of the elder walking away and the vision shifting once more. If it wasn’t code then it was something far more intricate and obscure, something he would have never thought of. He paused as he looked at him, it had to be genetic since he was also able to do it and rumor had it his genetic material was borrowed from a reconstructed donor. Even if he could never locate the records, he knew he wasn’t his father’s, he looked too close to the man before him.

Dr. Stark looked over his shoulder and asked, “You still haven’t figured it out yet, have you?” the Commander growled with irritation, for some reason it was more irritating to be bested by an ancestor than anyone else. The elder chuckled at the sound and he watched a screen open before him, instantly he recognized the base code, “Starfleet?” he asked as he looked over his shoulder at the Vulcan that was being typed, how his ancestor knew Vulcan eluded him. Stark grinned with mirth as he snapped his fingers, the click echoed in the room and Stark felt himself falling once again and clutched his head. “FUCK,” he hissed as he doubled over, how the other man could handle this eluded him. There was no way this was that simple, especially on someone his age.

“You’re rusty kid,” he stated, earning a glare from the Commander. It was then he noticed the outfit had changed. The elder was dressed in a suit with a vivid royal blue shirt and crimson tie, it was tailored to perfection and his teasing grin was enough to make the Commander want to strangle him. “I’ll give you a hint, it’s genetic,” he stated. Nathanial was confused until he paused and reached into his pocket, only to feel a card. His eyes widened as he pulled it out, it was a tarot card, the magician. “No,” he whispered. The elder laughed and shrugged, “It can only work if the machine can form a connection with the mind and that’s easier if the mind is already open,” he explained.

The Commander looked up from the card, his eyes following the man as he walked up to a black board with a piece of chalk between his fingers. “You’re implying that we are telepathic?” asked the Commander. The elder whipped around and replied shortly, “I knew my DNA was in there somewhere.” Nathanial’s eyes narrowed, his glare having absolutely no affect on the scientist as he tossed the piece of chalk mindlessly. “I’m not implying, I’m telling and it’s more than telepathic, you’ve got a bit of foresight too. That scene hasn’t happened it, it won’t for another month,” he stated before turning to the board and beginning an equation. Telepathic, it made sense in an odd way, since the mind was open to more stimulus that would mean that the connection would be easier than attempting to hijack the brain and force it to do as they wished. If this was true then that would mean that there was potential to use another species.

Immediately the Commander gasped, he knew what they wanted, and his stomach twisted. “Dr. Stark, V’Lor wasn’t just physically tortured was he?” asked the Commander, his voice wavering, he had heard the story of V’Lor and knew that a great deal had transpired that night. Yet, this, this was a shock, if they had managed to get V’Lor into one of the chairs that would mean that there was a greater motive for capturing V’Lor. Motive and the possibility of using this kind of technology on a Vulcan, if that was so, then the odds of him stopping this from getting out of control were slim. He didn’t even want to think of the damage to the child’s mind or the many potential dangers something like this could cause.

Stark spared him a glance as he replied, “What do you think?”

Nathanial felt nauseous, never before had he even considered the possibility that the prison of his childhood could become something even more devastating. Vulcan’s were mysterious in that no one was certain as to how telepathic they were, but he had a sinking feeling that for a species as old as they were with the same intelligence, they would be damaged by becoming trapped in the device. His mind spun out of control, the possible ramifications of the technology were great, greater than he could have ever fathomed, even as an adult.

The Commander turned to the Physicist only to find himself alone, and in the rubble of a city. Concrete, steel, bricks, and iron were twisted out of proportion, glass littered the streets as though they were leaves ripped from the limbs of trees. Smoke and ash fell the air as well as a wretched smell, it was noxious and caused Nathanial to cover his mouth and nose with his hand. His feet hurt as he took another step in the streets, the glass was cutting into the soles of his feet, shredding the tender skin causing him to hiss with discomfort. Blue eyes narrowed in an attempt to see through the smoke, the sound of engines roared over his head, he looked up in confusion. He didn’t recognize the pitch, it was off, different in an odd way. His eyes fell on a bulky silver flitter, it looked nothing like his sleek designs that made Global Dynamics one of the finest in the world, it was box like and wasn’t fit for speed. The sides were bulky and he noticed several phase cannons attached to its undercarriage, this wasn’t a flitter for travel or diplomacy it was meant for battle, for violent confrontations.

A shiver wracked Nathanial’s body as he hesitantly stepped the opposite direction of the flitter. Doctor Stark had to have an excellent imagination for such a place to be created, the chill that had seeped through his skin and sank into his bones felt real, as did the concrete under his fingers when the brushed across the surface of the rubble. There was what sounded like an explosion followed by a wave of pressure that slammed into his head. It pressed his eardrums, and in response, they began to ring intensely. It was as though he had been hit with a compression grenade, only it made his head fuzzy as well. Nathanial paused when he came across a familiar sign, his eyes widening at the insignia on it.

A pyramid with a disk like moon was plastered on a now warped sign that he knew hung above the entry gate of the Vulcan Consulate. His eyes widened as he looked around himself, it was then he realized he was in Sausalito, and the rubble had been the consulate. His mouth dried out as he looked off to the side to see several bodies on the ground, the smell had emanated from the corpses that had been left to rot in the sun. His hands flew to his mouth as he swallowed harshly in a futile attempt to keep his lunch from making a reappearance. Of all the things to see, this was the cruelest.

The corpses were still, shells of what had once been knowledgeable and serine beings, were piled in the court yard. His eyes fell on a group of men dressed in black from head to foot, they wore sunglasses to shield their eyes from what little sunlight could slip through the clouds that had blocked a majority of the sun’s rays. “Did we find them?” asked one of them, his voice was raspy and he watched curiously as one of the men pulled off his sunglasses. Gardner, he was staring at the same familiar mug that had nearly destroyed him, Gardner.

“What is this?” he asked in total confusion, he thought the device only worked to build programs, this wasn’t that.

Gardner shook his head and replied, “No, Prion and Paxton are still searching, although Prion is convinced that Soval is dead, Forrest is missing though.” His voice was void of emotion, it was clinical and sounded as though he were reading a shopping list as opposed to explaining what had happened to the famous MACCO, the daughter of one of Gardner’s colleagues, and the Vulcan Ambassador who had stood in opposition to nearly all forms of policy that had restricted Vulcan and Earth’s relations. “Make sure she is apprehended, we don’t need to deal with her, I assume that the Andorians and Vulcans are at war,” continued the man as he took another step.

There was a shrug from Gardner, as he stated simply, “We will do what we can, but I don’t think she has much fight left, after all we have managed to tag her, it’s only a matter of time before she required another fix.” A fix, that was something he hadn’t heard in a long time, a fix was something that was used to speak of the pleasant side affects of a drug in the 21st century, at least what some perceived as being pleasant. “That’s unnecessary, she’s strung up with V’Las,” Gardner stated. A wicked grin curled Gardner’s lips, V’Las, the previous Administrator of Vulcan, a man who was quite honestly even terrifying to Soval, which meant he was far more dangerous. Kate was captured, what the Administrator was doing with her confused him.

Nathanial was silent as he watched them, they were walking toward him, with each step they were growing closer. Fear caused his heart to race, this wasn’t a computer program, it couldn’t be it was far too detailed and the events were too plausible. If it was a program it was an advanced algorithm, it could have been his own fears being broadcasted from his subconscious, but then how would it explain the Physicist. He watched the men clad in black military uniforms approach, “Have we rounded up those who resisted being commanded to leave?” asked the man in the middle, his voice was clearer as he approached and Nathanial felt his stomach drop, there was no way he was still alive, he remembered killing the man himself.

The Commander stepped to the side to avoid being in their way, “Yes, they have been chipped and tattooed,” replied Gardner, his tone was triumphant and filled with bliss. The trio was flanked by a group of uniformed men, it seemed odd but Stark held his breath as they began to pass him, he was about to exhale when he watched Gardner whip around and Prion do the same. Green eyes fell on the two pairs of icy blues that were glaring right at him. The nerves in Nathanial’s body ceased to respond as his joints seem to freeze, his mind was screaming for him to run but his body didn’t cooperate. These were images, they shouldn’t respond, they were a program.

“What is it?” asked the man in the center of the group. Gardner looked to Prion and asked, “Are you sure that Paxton destroyed the Lunar base and TAPP?” Nathanial froze, destroying TAPP, that was impossible to create in the mind, there were protocols built into it to avoid such thoughts. He could remember the number of people who had been lobotomized after the protocol had been written, it was in an effort to prevent an internal uprising, to punish them before they could even think to act. Destroying TAPP, even the mention of it should have caused him pain, and yet it never arrived.

Dark eyebrows shot up as he watched Gardner and Prion exchange a look, “Yes, we watched him destroy the base with subjects still seated,” stated Gardner. The Commander stared in shock as Gardner added, “It isn’t possible for them to use TAPP for that, I was assured such facts by my guys at the research Lab.” Now he was intrigued as to what Garnder could be reffering to, the Admiral wasn’t the most intelligent man, however he also wasn’t a moron. The man in the middle sighed, “Are you certain, can you prove to me that they aren’t able to do such thing?” his tone was aggressive and Nathainal could pick up on his tension.

“Yes,” said Prion.

There was a chuckle, it was deep and rich, a jeering sound that made him wonder just whom he had met and if his world had been like this as a child. “They’re wrong,” said the familiar rich voice and he whipped around to see a smartly dressed Dr. Nathan Stark. He was smirking like a mad man and appeared well groomed. Nathanial was still as he watched the man take a step to place himself between the group and himself. It was odd, he felt safe and at the same time was terrified. The man before him was an enigma, even though his body had been through he was still able to push the limits even of this virtual reality. Yet the question remained, just what was it Prion was eluding to and how the technological giant was involved.

The Commander watched the figures fade questions stirred in his mind, all of them more complex than the first. He shouldn’t have been able to communicate with Stark, it shouldn’t have been possible they were supposed to be on two separate servers, and yet he was.

The world shifted once more and Nathanial’s eyes widened, Stark was dressed in a three piece suit, his blue eyes were brighter than before, his shoes were perfectly shined, beard trimmed to perfection and his curly black hair styled in a way that was both wayward in nature but professional. Nathanial was still as he watched the man approach, the world shifting around them as he did so. His blue eyes were emphasized by his brilliant blue shirt, he wore a crimson red tie and slipped a hand through his hair, which resulted in his platinum wedding band to wink in the light.

 

The world behind the physicist shifted, no longer were they in a place he recognized, they were looking out over the universe, “This is so much more complex than you comprehend,” he stated, his voice deep and a smirk curling his lips. With each step the he watched the stars come to light, his eyes widening in awe. The tell tail blue, red, purple and green hues of nebulas, the cradles of stars, the glimmer of stars lighting the eternally black space. Planets were coming to be, his eyes widened as he imagined the life that was to be teaming on them, “You think you are trapped in a machine don’t you?” asked Stark, his tone was light, and taunting. He seemed to take great joy in this and Nathanial glared at him, “What are you saying Stark, this is a machine,” he stated.

It was apparent that the Physicist had lost his mind, the machine had robbed him of his sense of reality. The elder Stark laughed, his eyes glimmered with knowledge as he stopped before the Commander. “So narrow minded, Commander. I thought a descendent of mine would be more open-minded,” he stated as he bounced on his toes slightly, a grin curling his lips, “Especially one who designs warp engines.” Warp Engines, all those had involved was an understanding of space and time, the appropriate analysis and use of specific algorithms that allowed for even faster speeds. It wasn’t difficult. The Physicist snickered, “For you perhaps,” he said.

Dark brows on the Commander’s face arced as he realized he hadn’t said a word out loud and yet this man knew his inner dialogue, his thoughts. It made him shiver and he asked, “How are you doing this?” He couldn’t believe he was about to hear his thoughts, even in this realm it was impossible. “No not impossible, you just haven’t allowed yourself to look beyond a warp engine, you know what this is,” he stated as he leaned forward, “You are after all my descendent, and one of the finest designers of our time.” Nathanial was startled, there wasn’t a possible explanation for how this man knew this, he had been hooked up to a server that was supposed to be isolated.

Stark waved his hand and he watched screens appear, the universe around them was still spreading as he watched data flow from his fingertips, “Nothing is truly isolated, as for how I know you, which was simple - I went looking for you. Ever since you stepped into GD I’ve watched over you,” he stated. Nathanial was gaping openly, the elder had been strapped to the gurney for two decades he had been 18 years old when he first stepped into Global Dynamics.

_“How?”_

Stark smiled as he waved his hand, algorithms of time manipulation appeared before him, all of them eluded to a concept he thought was impossible, something that was improbable. _“No, it’s not improbable, you just never pushed it or allowed yourself to truly see what you are capable of,”_ Stark responded, his lips never moved, they had abandoned that notion and he watched the man’s fingers dance in the air, the notion was ludicrous, insane and yet here it seemed that it was truly limitless.

It was as though the construct of the universe didn’t exist, Nathanial shook his head, while it was a possible explanation he realized that that wasn’t what Stark was getting at. “There is another possible talent to make the chairs work, other than telepathy, and that is foresight,” Foresight wasn’t something they typically explored, telepathy had become acceptable after the arrival of the Vulcans, but foresight had been swept away.

He stared at the elder, “I’m not surprised really, after all you have both in spades, apparently there was a reason Jack always knew when something would happen and I was the telepath,” he stated. Nathanial looked at his own clothing and realized he was dressed in a black pair of pants and a black shirt, it was as though he were standing before the Master of a Universe. Nathan snorted in amusement, “While my ego would typically preen at that, the truth is no one is the Master of the Universe, only a watcher,” he stated. Watcher, it was an unusual term, it meant that in order to complete such a task that you had to see the universe, how one could see the universe while in a computer confounded him.

The elder held his hand out before Nathan, a handful of what appeared to be traditional white quartz sand appeared in it. He smiled as he turned his palm to the side and it flowed from off of his fingers, “To see the world in a grain of sand,” he stated as it flew away, rather than flowing downward but into the grasp of space. He watched the sand glisten as it flew away, as though it were becoming one of the stars in the night sky, “And see heaven in a wild flower,” Stark continued. A Paradox, he spoke of a paradox, “Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,” there was surly no other explanation but a paradox but how it applied to this still made him disoriented, “And an eternity of an hour.”

Green eyes fell on the vastness known as the universe, “It’s odd isn’t it? How a man like William Blake could understand all of this, and yet we are unable to,” he chuckled to himself as he rubbed his palms together, the small grains of sand sparkled in the light as he did so. Doctor Nathan Stark looked at the commander and asked, “Tell me, is this not a paradox? You are my decedent, I am long dead and yet I am here alive.” His eyes fell on the young Commander, they were calculated, cool and contained a spark of amusement. The younger of the pair was befuddled, a paradox, “You speak of time manipulation, that we can see it all,” he stated. They Physicist hummed, he appeared happy with this assessment, “This is insane,” stated the Commander.

Doctor Stark grinned madly, “Perhaps, but is it all that impossible? Is it truly impossible for us to free the mind from the body and allow for us to see beyond the realms of our physical sight?” he asked, “We can travel the stars faster than ever before, we have met races like the Vulcans who are touch telepaths, and natural empaths, tell me, is it truly insane to believe that by trapping the mind in a state of limbo that we can exist outside convention?” His voice was firm as he took a step closer toward Nathanial, his hand slowly lifted from his side and he watched long slender fingers lift toward his face. “Do you truly believe that you are still trapped inside that box? Or can you realize that in reality they have gifted you a power you would have never known?” he asked.

Warm fingers slipped up to the Commander’s temple, they were gentle in their caress of his skin and felt real enough for him to understand that this wasn’t just his mind creating these images. “There are no limits here, not even the servers limit us, we can do as we please,” he stated, “We are in fact limitless, not only in the sense of program but our ability to move about the world.”

The Physicist chuckled Nathanial realized just what he was inside, “Now then, it’s time for you to wake up, someone is trying to ask you a question,” he stated.

Nathan was about to ask another question when he felt himself falling, suddenly he was gasping and unbearable pain shot through him. His mind was a mess, his neurons on fire and yet he was rousing. There was a brilliant white light, blinding in nature, and he heard shouting. “FUCK, who thought it was a good idea to put him in there?” commanded someone, the voice was distant and he felt his lips groggily arch into a smile before finally slipping unconscious, questions still brewing but he couldn’t focus on those he was far too tired.

~~vOv~~

 

A transformation, for some it is hideous and causes something of profound beauty to transform into a beast, and yet for others, this movement from one appearance to another is something far more transcended. It is elegant and graceful as the butterfly that emerges from her cocoon in the midst of a summers day, and as powerful as a hawk taking flight for the first time. It is in this moment where an individual is able to see beyond what exists and into the sphere of what could be. There are those, however, where transformations aren’t entirely unique in that moment, for in those moments where the old skin is stripped away and the supple fresh skin underneath is revealed it’s a rejuvenation of an individual that we haven’t seen for years.

To once again see the person we thought we had lost through all the struggle and challenges. Someone, who reminds us of what we have lost and those we loved over time.

Kate slowly opened her eyes. Staring back at her was a woman she didn’t even recognize. Her blue eyes were as bright as the sky and vast as Pacific Ocean, they seemed deeper and to sparkle in the light with life. Her lips were a dark shade of peach, while her long blonde hair had been tamed, it was as golden as the sun and looked as soft as silk. It curled and waved in long lush ringlets that fell around her with grace. Her skin was sun kissed from all her hours out in the forest and yet, not a scar seemed to appear, despite the fact that it was part of her occupation to have acquired a few.

A beautiful midnight blue gown that seemed nearly black in the light swept over her body. It was light and floated about her, whispering as she moved. It fell over her right shoulder and then across her body, she admired the moderately thick empire waste that consisted of a simple band of black velvet. She was surrounded by sheer that had an intricate print of tree limbs made of luscious black velvet. Slipping down her right arm was a sleeve made of the light fabric, the print continuing until it reached her wrist. It was as though the forest had wrapped it’s self around her that evening, embracing her every curve and allowing for her to hide in plain sight. A creamy white slip was under several layers of the nearly translucent chiffon, giving the dress another layer of contrast.

She slowly stepped off the podium and walked up to one of the mirrors. Glittering around her ear was the same silver scroll work cuff she had worn to the Crystal Palace. It didn’t seem out of place in that moment, in fact it was as though it belonged. Kate extended her fingers and the woman staring back at her did the same, she paused before slowly reaching out and touching the cold, slick mirror. Kate didn’t go to prom, and while she had attended several Galas and Balls, it had been a very long time since she had gone to one. Over time she had become so accustomed to the uniforms, jeans and leather that somewhere along the line she had forgotten what she looked like in a dress.

Now all that was left was to walk down the stairs and meet with Soval. She smiled a little, in reality she had no idea when he had gone from the Ambassador to Soval, but there was a small part of her that hoped it would stay that way. While it wasn’t professional and in reality she should leave her post, she couldn’t help it. He had become the most important person in her life, someone she knew she could rely on, admire, and perhaps even love. Kate slowly opened the door of her room and walked down the hallway, her heels didn’t make a sound as he steps were muffled by the carpet.

She stood atop the stairs and listened for a moment, Amanda was downstairs, she could hear her friend speaking a mile a minute to Suran, she could only imagine the expression on his face. Suran wasn’t very talkative, only when she was asking about customs and missions. He had opened up more over the past few months and appeared to be something closer to a friend. After all it was his idea to invite Amanda, to serve as back up for the event. They were both going to protect the Vulcan delegation, which was without T’Vok, because she had been sent to Starfleet to look into an issue in their warp cores.

Kate placed her hand on the railing and slowly began to descend the staircase. She held her head high and remembered the many lectures from her father on the proper posture. His voice echoed in her head, oddly it wasn’t her mother who had taught her, but her father. He would stand before her in his office at home, the fire was lit and he would dictate how a lady was to behave. Like all things, he always said it was about how an individual carried themselves.

 _“Chin up, that’s it, never look to the floor always look forward, toward the horizon. Stand tall and proud, even in moments of uncertainty you mustn’t waiver,”_ he would say gently, _“Chin parallel to the floor, that’s it, keep it in line with the spine. Now shoulders back, allow them to fall away from your ears, you’re not a hunchback but a beautiful young woman,”_ Kate smiled a little as she continued, each step was familiar and yet alien, _“Smile, not too wide, but enough to warm the room, it’s bound to be fridge with all the diplomats present,”_ she looked at Amanda who was in a stunning sleek silver strapless dress that hugged her curves. It fell to the floor with ripples and her dark chestnut hair was tied behind her head in an elegant knot with a pair of clear hair-sticks holding it in place. It was a simple look, but suited her.

 _“Stride with purpose as though you are attempting to reach the future, but not so much so that you loose your grace,”_ Kate looked at the end of the steps to see Amanda’s eyes widen and jaw fall unceremoniously. Suran’s eyes were equally wide, yet slightly more dignified; his gaze didn’t stray from her as she continued down the stairs. It was unusual to see Suran wearing an expression of shock.

 _“Poise, Kitty, always remember that word,”_ she looked over to see Soval, his dark eyes were locked on her. His lips curled at the corners, it was small but several months worth of working under him had taught her that he wasn’t emotionless at all. He was an open book to her now, he was smiling. His dark eyes held a glimmer of pride, something even rarer for a Vulcan. Soval had long since been ready as had Suran, and it wasn’t the first time she had seen them in clan robes. Both were handsome in their traditional robes, and she admired the way the splendid deep blue robes made Soval’s complexion glow. His hair seemed closer to gray than before and his eyes no longer appeared brown but a vibrant hazel. Soval’s posture was perfect as he clasped his hands before himself.

 _“Kitty, never be afraid, even if you think you’re going to fall, don’t fear it. There is always going to be someone waiting at the bottom of the stairs to catch you,”_ she paused at the bottom of the stairs and suddenly realized that the Ambassador was now before her. His imposing figured seemed to lessen, even though he was wrapped in the official Ambassadorial robes and his clan colors, he seemed somehow closer than before, closer in the sense that he was with her in that moment, and not thinking of state affairs or the future of Humanity. Yet, this imposing figure who had stared down angry Klingons and Romulans deserved respect, he deserved to be treated with gratitude and respect.

Kate slowly dipped in a curtsey, lowering herself to the floor gracefully until her knees brushed the hard tile flooring, her gaze falling on the floor under their feet. She held the position for a moment before rising once more, her gaze still downcast, as a sign of respect.

_“There’s always a handsome prince standing there, waiting for you princess.”_

Kate lifted her gaze and looked to Soval, his ears were tipped green, it was strange the only time she had seen that was when he wasn’t feeling well. “Are you alright sir?” she asked curiously. Soval was quiet for a moment, and it was then she noticed how he was looking over the dress. He probably disliked it and would tell her to change, “Yes, I am well,” he replied. Soval smiled a little and said with a hint of approval, “You look agreeable.” She had a feeling that the word agreeable was the closest thing she would get to beautiful, but she didn’t mind. He had noticed her and that was all that mattered. “Thank you, you look very handsome as well,” she said warmly.

The Ambassador’s ears were even greener as he turned and said, “Let us depart,” his voice was commanding and supple against her ears. She loved the sound of it, it put her at ease. She followed him her eyes never leaving his robes that billowed as he moved. She felt a tap on her shoulder and she looked over to see Amanda grinning, “You look amazing, I could never pull that gown off,” she whispered. Kate blushed a little, “You look like a princess, I feel like the mutt and here you are the pedigree,” she stated.

Years of following her father to events had taught her this, only now did she appreciate those lessons in the library. Silently she thanked her father for not giving up on her too quickly. Kate looked at Amanda and replied, “You look beautiful too, I doubt you will be able to keep the guys at bay. Hell Suran might have to carry a stick tonight to keep them back.” Amanda sighed and shook her head, they didn’t speak another word until they were both slipping into the car. 

~~vOv~~

Bumps, the sound of a chassey creaking and musky leather filled the senses of the reporter. It was dark and his body was cramped, he could feel every rock and pothole, a dead give away that he was in a car of some kind. The sound of the engine echoed in his ears as he listened to it change in pitch, it was a manual transmission, which confused him. He could still feel residual pain in his neck from where Kruss had grabbed him, it was deep and he knew it would quickly turn purple and blue. Greyson squirmed only to find his wrists and ankles bound together, Kruss had mentioned if he were shot in the hotel it would earn them unwanted attention that would destroy their plans. His head throbbed as it smacked into the floor of the trunk, the smell of cleaner filled his nose and he cringed slightly, Kruss had bleached the car, it didn’t surprise him Vulcans were rather tidy.

It was obvious that Kruss was taking him somewhere to kill him, after all, they didn’t need a nosy human reporter ruining their carefully laid plans. All he could hope for was that the transmitter had done its job and sent the audio file to his computer. Once the file was there it was going to be sent to T’Vok and Soval, who in turn would use it to take down the organization Sarah Prion and Gardner were part of, at least he hoped they would. The car took a sharp turn and he listened to the sound of plants brushing against the car, it sounded like grass, he had clearly been out for a long time.

Before he could speculate as to just where Kruss was taking him the car stopped, it was time, and he knew Kruss would be through. Even if Vulcan’s abhorred violence, he also knew there was a side of them that would allow such beliefs to yield to logic when the circumstances were right. He closed his eyes and listened to the trunk latch release, his heart was hammering in his ears as he felt the cool night air sweep over his skin. It was over, Kruss was going to kill him and his only hope was a toy from Stark that had been a gift for his Birthday.

Kruss grabbed him roughly, his hands were like vices as they gripped his arms and the Vulcan yanked him out of the car. Greyson’s knees hit the earth and he noticed the long grass surrounding him, it was a sea of green under the pale light of a full moon. In any other circumstance he would have found this situation to be beautiful. The blades were damp under his fingers and silence rang in the field. “Rise,” commanded the stern tone of the Vulcan who towered over him. Greyson did as he was told and stood without question, there was no point, he was a dead man after all. He looked into Kruss’ dark eyes and saw no emotion, a perfect Vulcan. It was odd that such a perfect example of the species would work with madmen. “Walk,” Kruss commanded, once again his tone leaving no room for argument.

The tall grass made it feel as though he were wading through a sea and he felt it tickle his fingers. The sweet scent of alfalfa filled his nose, it was obvious that Kruss didn’t think much of speed limits, there was no way they were in California, they were probably out in the middle of nowhere. So far from civilization that not a soul would think to come and retrieve his corpse, it was just as well he hadn’t been a great father anyway. He had left his wife to be the reporter he was, which wasn’t fair to her. She never realized the only reason he had was because of the nature of the stories he seemed to find.

He continued to march forward, the headlights of the car had dimmed and the brilliant blue glow of the moon lit the field. “Stop,” commanded Kruss. Distantly Greyson could hear the whisper of the Vulcan’s robes and the distinct sound of a phaser powering up. “You shouldn’t have been in that room Mr. Greyson,” said Kruss, “I wouldn’t have to do this if you weren’t.” Greyson closed his eyes, his heart was pounding against his ribs as his ears rang. At least Kruss was the Head of Security, his shot would be accurate and certainly take him quickly.

He drew a breath and held it as he listened to the distinct sound of a phaser being discharged, the sound echoing in the empty fields of alfalfa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am well aware we have pushed the boundaries, I didn't want to create a typical Star Trek work. I love Science Fiction and the ability to turn simple concepts into the most unusual and terrifying. As you can tell TAPP is one of the interesting elements as well as this code that shows up. I wanted to show you just how far we could go with the technology, as you can tell it's a major player.
> 
> My advice to you is to look at the details, that's where the key is.


	16. Trapped but Never Contained

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gala has arrived, the event itself is one of the most important of the year, but with all the tension it is possible for something sinister to occur. Kate and Amanda prepare to escort the Ambassador and his Aide, only to realize that on this night they are more than princesses, they are MACCOs who have sworn to protect them.
> 
> All the while the Enterprise has arrived and is unable to dock, Kate is faced with a new challenge, committing treason in order to get the pyramid and finally learn just what is occurring. Soval is quick to jump in and assist, despite the ramifications, stating that he would not abandon her, under any circumstance.
> 
> Nathanial rouses to find himself being prodded by Asan, only perhaps she is more than a puppet, she could be the one to assist him in escaping and even saving everyone.

Chapter Seventeen

Enchantment, a powerful word which means to bewitch, but of a far greater magnitude, a spell which wraps around the victim and suffocates them of life as the castor revels in the feeling of power. A spell of such power which is able to ensnare the senses and result in an individual becoming in a sense incapacitated when dealing with matters related to the castor. The only complication being that an enchantment must be cast several times in an evening, a strange comparison to the current press campaign of PRION. Since it had appeared on the scene not only was it considered the leader in technology, but had boasted of its role as a community conscience company with the ability to improve humanity. It wasn’t an unusual point for a technology company to gloat about, but it’s ever-present dominance in the markets had simply made it’s position over everyone else that much more influential.

The Vulcan Ambassador slowly turned his attention to Kate, he could remember the day that Maxwell had brought up the tale of Goliath, at the time he had seen its foolish. A fanciful tale created by a race that allowed it’s emotions and imagination to rule it. Only now did he fully begin to understand it was never the children’s story the Admiral was speaking of, rather it was the fact that when something so large fell, chaos would ensue. For once something the size of goliath fell, it took many others with it. Complicated, was certainly a word that barely glossed the surface of this situation. Once again his eyes drifted to Kate, the dress, her dress, was stunning.

Usually he didn’t allow himself to admire women in such a fashion, but oddly he had found himself doing it more often with Kate. He of course had noticed the uniform, it was a symbol of organization and in his case protection. The memory of him receiving the orders flashed through his head, and the young MACCO who had proven herself twice over that day. Part of him was still upset that Maxwell had in a sense put his daughter in the line of fire, while another part, one he rarely would acknowledge existed, was relieved. He could protect her now, he would have before, but now he was in a far better position. He still desired to know about the scars, and how she had gotten them. More than once he had nearly asked Amanda for an explanation but knew she would explain in time.

The nightmare infuriated him, he could still feel the darkness in the edges of his mind, the individual who harmed her should be thankful he hadn’t been there, he would have slaughtered him.

The Ambassador drew a soothing breath to push his simmering anger to the back of his mind. They didn’t need him to become anxious, they needed the cool and formal Ambassador he was known for being. Soval paused, and wondered when he had separated himself from his role. Prior to recent events, he hadn’t seen a separation, being the Ambassador was who he was, and yet, yet with Kate he was not the dignitary or the adversarial diplomat with what many coined as an unpleasant disposition, but Soval. He knew it was folly to believe and individual is their role, but for such a long time it was an unspoken truth in his existence. 

The fitter continued to slip through the streets without hindrance, they were getting closer and he watched as Kate and Amanda began going through a black bag on the floor. Kruss had been missing for a few hours, but that clearly hadn’t perturbed the two MACCOs from raiding the armory. Kate tossed Amanda a Comm and a wic, “Thanks,” she mumbled as she pulled out a small prototype phaser. “Okay, we know the drill, the Andorians are on our side, and as of now the Denobulans have been contacted. The Tellerites are too busy being stubborn to see it, but we are hoping we can get the rest of the collation to see reason,” explained Kate as she loaded a fully charged cartridge into the phaser and flickered off the safety. All the while Amanda was pulling a knife and looking at its length.

Soval looked at Suran, the elder Vulcan was still, and seemed to be reflecting on the scene before them. Whether they liked it or not, the pair were soldiers, very good ones if their training and actions were anything to show. “Ambassador, you are not to separate from me at any point in time,” commanded Kate, her tone was stern and he watched a steel like glint flicker in her eyes, “The same goes for you Suran, if we detect anything that could classify as a threat, or perceived there to be, you will be evacuated.” Soval was still, he could remember the swift evacuation out of the hotel, the day he had first caught her scent. It was methodical, controlled and well organized, even at the last minute. He had admired her ability to deviate from a set plan and in that moment knew that he was being protected by a woman who perhaps outstripped Vulcan’s of their ability to problem solve.

He nodded in accord, as always she was taking every variable into account, no matter how small she had factored it into the equation. Kate smoothed her dress and closed her eyes for a moment, he watched with fascination as she drew a breath, she was nervous. “Major, this is only a gala, relax if we are tense upon arrival others will know of our uncertainty and our adversary may move early,” he said gently.  She wasn’t controlled by emotions usually but between the code appearing in the Enterprise, hacking into PRION and her nightmare, as well as the many concerns of security, it was going to be difficult to keep her relaxed. Kate slowly exhaled and replied, “I know, but I can’t help it, this is different than all the other missions.” Soval tilted his head with intrigue and wondered how this could possibly be different than protecting several Vulcan Doctors or the various protection and risk analysis details she had been on.

He was quiet and waited for a moment, the glimpse of the nightmare slipped through a slight crack in the carefully constructed metal box he had stuffed it into. Vulcan’s had edict memory, and even if he didn’t, he was certain he would never forget that glimpse into her mind. She had a beautiful one, and yet something so violent and despicable had appeared within it. “Amanda and I, along with yourselves and the few Andorians we trust are up against something that could quite possibly taken over society already,” she replied. Her tone was somber, and he watched as she slowly bowed her head, her brow furrowed with worry and in that moment he was reminded just how young she was. Although Kate was no longer a child, she was in many ways lost. Soval was about to interject when he watched her sit up and continue, “They may have conquered the planet, but not the universe, we will push back. Even when facing the monumentous task of slaying Goliath we will not cower,” she stated, “We will not waver in fear, we will do what is asked of us.” Soval’s dark eyes widened as he watched her transform from a lost child into the warrior he knew resided within her. “We will defeat them, we will show them that there is nothing to fear, and we will lay the foundations for peace,” she stated with conviction.

The corner of Soval’s lips curled slightly, there was the beloved Admiral, Maxwell had never left, he was still with them in Kate. Now he completely understood how humans believed that their loved ones were within their kin, after so many years, so many stories, he understood. While Katharine was her own person, it was impossible to deny that she was also a reflection of the Admiral. The Vulcan Ambassador nodded graciously, she was still a lion, just as her father had been – it was the quality that he had admired the most about humanity. No matter what, despite the odds, they would fight to do what was right and just. A quality that they never seemed to lose, it had guided them for centuries and was even the driving force for humans in the United Kingdom during World War Two.

The building rose out of the earth, it was fully lit and he noticed the long line of diplomatic convoys. The security had been boosted but nowhere near enough for just how major this was going to be. Starfleet’s enormous silver and white building seemed to glow in the golden yellow lights that filled the building and encompassed the grounds. The hedges were trimmed and he noticed not a single article out of place, this Gala was the event of the year and would symbolize the anniversary of many species making contact with the human race. The dark skies seemed to glow with an aura of hope, it was odd how such a notion could be applied in circumstances that were far less than that. He was never one to predict without evidence, but at this point the evidence suggesting that the probability of them failing was far higher than any other.

The flitter slowed to a stop and he looked to Kate, this was the first time in over a decade he would arrive with a woman, not since his wife. No matter how he examined the situation, he was still pleased she had donned a dress for him, that this strong and intelligent creature would do this for him. The Ambassador paused, he wasn’t sure when he had started to admire her in such a way but found it illogical to deny such facts. The door opened and immediately they were assaulted by flashes and shouting, he could hear the music that was playing in the middle of the building and reporters musing that once again he would arrive alone. Soval smiled slightly, this always amused him, he slipped out of the flitter. He could feel the cool air against his skin, it was late autumn, Christmas was just a breath away.

He turned, his robes swaying about him and he heard a murmur of confusion in the crowd. It was apparent that they honestly believed he wouldn’t have an escort. Yet, he couldn’t seem to care, all that mattered was getting inside, and stopping Terra Prime. They had a mission and he wasn’t about to sit by and watch as they destroyed the fragile alliance with many species between one another. They had worked too hard for peace for far too long. “Shall we?” he asked as he held his hand out to Katharine, his eyes falling on her sky blue eyes, they glimmered with confidence as she slipped out of the back of the flitter. He felt her slender fingers wrap around his, they were calloused from the use of a phaser and weapons, but oddly soft. She gently gripped his hand and he knew she was focused. There was a gasp as Katharine slipped out of the safety of the flitter and onto the dark blue carpet that had been rolled out just for them. “Always,” she whispered.

In an instant the sound of confusion transformed into an onslaught of questions, the main one being who the two women were. Especially since Suran was being accompanied by Amanda in the sleek silver gown. Kate smirked wickedly as they proceeded up the carpet, he could hear her thoughts as she did so, she had allowed her fingers to settle on the skin of his wrist. Usually this was considered inappropriate and he would have never condoned it, however she was walking him through security and possible weak points as they went. She was preparing an extra plan, with the contingency that she would be unable to protect him any longer. There would be only one reason she would be unable to do so and he gently slipped her hand into his and squeezed it urgently. He allowed his emotions to flow through his palm, she had to know that he would not accept that as a possibility, regardless of logic. He wasn’t there when the monster had harmed her the first time, he wasn’t about to not be there the second.

He felt surprise tickle his mind, and Kate’s eyes were narrowed and he watched her brow furrow slightly. “I will not have you harmed again,” he whispered with determination, “I will protect you as you protect me.” There was a surge of warmth, it was tender and kind. Soval allowed himself to bask in the purity of the emotions that she was giving him, it had been a very long time since he felt them, and if her probabilities were anything to go by this could be the last time he would have the opportunity to experience them. They slipped through the towering glass doors and into the lobby, his shoes clicked against the marble floor and he listened to the sound of diplomats.

Amanda leaned to Kate and whispered, “Showtime.” It was odd but that was just what it was, they were going to walk the floor with each of them and he watched as they casually looked around. The Andorians were present, they were dressed in their formal leathers as always but seemed to be just as attentive as his two guards. Ambassador Krim nodded to him minutely, and Soval did the same. If they were going to make it through this they couldn’t be adversaries, they would have to be allies. Individuals were gathering in the main hall, it was then he noticed a stage and a podium, it was customary for there to be a speech by the Admirals of Starfleet, and the President of the United Federation of Earth.

Standing raptly was the admiralty, each of them dressed in the navy blue jumpers that had long since been associated with Starfleet since its creation. The nine admirals stood proud, towering over a majority of the other humans in the room. The Ambassadors as well as guest from other planets eyed them warily. Terra Prime had made everyone in the room rather tense, he noticed the eyes of one of the longest standing admiral’s flicker over the room, they were narrowed slightly and clinical. Kate leaned toward him and whispered, “He’s making sure security is where they should be,” she stated, it was obvious to her, but Soval held his tongue, there was another possibility. One which he didn’t not enjoy entertaining, however with the current circumstances the probability that the Admiral was on the side of Terra Prime was even with him being only allied with Starfleet – an even split.

The President of the United Federation of Earth was waiting patiently, his smile never seemed to dim. Soval had dealt with the man on several occasions and found him to be very short sighted, or at least in his opinion he had been, Vulcan’s drafted policies that would be more than adequate for ten years, but humans could only do so for five at most. It wasn’t until he watched the President look to a young man in a black smoking jacket with a pair of perfectly tailored tuxedo pants. He had a brilliant red bowtie around his neck and a vest that was the same color. His dark hair was slightly curled and his hazel eyes stood out. Soval had always noticed the young president’s features but didn’t comment. It wasn’t until he watched the young man lean over and speak to a man with thick dark hair, slightly tanned skin, large brown eyes, and a beard that he realized something was amiss.

The young man beside the President was dressed in a tuxedo with a deep ink black finish, unlike the president he had opted for a ton of black that reminded the Ambassador of space. His vest and ascot were a bright blue and he smiled warmly as he pushed his glasses further up his nose. With interest the Ambassador watched as the pair whispered something, before the President nodded and the young man stepped forward. It was then he realized that it was the Chairman of PRION that had been standing next to the President and was now standing at the Podium.

Of course he had seen images before, but the young man seemed out of place compared to the many faces of Starfleet. “The Chairman of PRION?” asked Kate as she too seemed to notice the change in power. The President had always opened, but there the Chairman stood, which made little sense. According to the rank of importance the President should have been the first to speak and then an Admiral, but instead the Chairman was. “What’s going on?” asked Kate as she looked to Soval, he hadn’t told her about the usual lineup, “I don’t know,” was his only reply as his mind attempted to catch up to what was occurring.

The Chairman of PRION quickly assumed the limelight, his dark hair curled wildly and seemed to glisten in the light, “Ladies and Gentleman,” he began, his voice echoed in the room, “It is with great pleasure that I stand before you and introduce you to a new era of technology.” He could feel the air shift and watched Kate take a slight step forward, her limbs coiled and the tension in her body was so apparent that Amanda seemed to be doing the same. “It has been a long time since we at PRION have approached the public, actually I think this is the first time, usually we just bug this lot,” he continued, his remark had earned a chuckle from the humans and a few other species of aliens which had found the comment amusing. Yet, he also noticed how the Admiralty looked far less amused, their expressions had told him a great deal more than the speaker. It was an even split between the Admirals with Santiago looking more bored than anything, the Cuban man had never looked amused by anything in his previous dealings and had learned from experience that other than Maxwell he had been the most formidable.

Gardner’s face was aglow and he smiled with glee, he looked as though he had received the greatest gift imaginable, something was very wrong. “I know, I know, our relationship has been very beneficial, and because of it we are going to show you just what we have been up to in conjunction with Starfleet,” he announced with excitement, with ease he slipped off the stage and waltzed toward the center of the room. “We at PRION have been working around the clock with Starfleet to create the technology we need for the future, not only here on Earth, but also for space travel,” he began as he stood in the center of the room. The delegates had moved back forming a massive circle around him.

“It has been a pleasure to work with not only the Admirals of Starfleet but also with the President. Our goal at PRION is to create technology that makes the world a better place, to enhance our ability to explore in every field,” He stated. The lights dimmed as he reached into his pocket, something silver glistened in his fingers as he slipped them over a silver stone. Soval’s brows shot up, Kate looked at him curiously as he replied, “That is a piece of Stark’s, I’ve seen him use it, the first time he had shown me the drawings. It looked like a silver stone that had been pulled out of a stream.” He remembered asking Stark if he could examine it, he had seen a great deal of technology, but it had been his first time interacting with the young Engineer. He had been enthralled by its simplicity but organic way it fit into the palm of an individual’s hand.

Kate hummed, “How did he get it?” she asked, they both knew that Stark would never hand over technology that powerful, it was sleek and well crafted. The piece was durable and even Soval had been surprised to learn it hadn’t been produced on a mass scale. He didn’t know but noticed she seemed to have that idea as she watched him. Part of him wished he had the answers, the other knew it was illogical to think that way. “Since man looked to the sky we have dreamed of touching the stars,” he stated and he watched a hologram flicker to life. It was detailed and showed the corners of the universe. The swirling nebulas filled with stars being created, the flash of a star exploding and the black holes that flecked the maps.

He was silent, there were portions humanity couldn’t have known of, they hadn’t traveled that far and they never released the charts. “Are you sure the worm didn’t get anything?” he whispered to Kate as he watched data that was clearly a fusion of research from the Vulcan Science Academy fused with Global Dynamics flicker before his eyes. Her lips parted as she took a step forward, it was as though she was hypnotized. “It didn’t I would know if it had,” she stated, “at least I should.” She tilted her head to the side, an indication that there was even more to this puzzle than they had first believed. She had been so certain that when she had sabotaged the worm that it hadn’t taken anything, “Unless it was gone before the worm,” she mumbled.

Suran was listening intently, as well as Ambassador Krim, Vulcan security was an example of some of the finest coding in the galaxies, not even the Andorians could get into it. Yet, somehow, the humans had. Humans who were displaying technology that was well beyond their capabilities to create. Their algorithms were impossible to crack, he knew that, it was the reason why they worked around the clock. “If it got into their mainframe, then,” Ambassador Krim was frozen, Soval watched as the Andorian paled, his once vividly blue skin turned a nearly icy white. “Then we’re screwed,” Amanda supplied brashly.

“We have been working together to design shields, medical supplies, and even basic weapons,” continued the CEO as he smiled, his tone was joyous, but Soval knew the implications of this. Images of Weapons being constructed, built and research being conducted flickered past him. That had garnered the full attention of Krim, “We have been assisting them with those, they don’t need to turn to a privet subsidiary.” There was more than advanced phasers, but also genetic modifications, chemical weapons, enhancements and even vaccinations for organisms they had yet to come in contact with.

Not even Global Dynamics had attempted half of the things they were, “They shouldn’t have over half of that technology, a majority of it is based on things developed by Global Dynamics and Vulcan designs,” he replied sternly. The threat had just escalated, far more rapidly than he would like, “We have to stop them, that is not for exploration, but those are the elements for something far more violent.” He didn’t want to say it, if he uttered the word it would mean acknowledging the fact that whoever was part of Terra Prime was clever enough to pin three adversaries against one another to kill off those it couldn’t conquer, and then destroy the rest.

“An Army,” whispered Kate.

~~vOv~~

The haze seemed to slowly pull away, and the feeling that had been lost in the man’s limbs returned. His head ached and he could hear the dull tone of a heart monitor. The thing behind him was soft but not plush, a reminder that he wasn’t at home suffering from one of his many frequent migraines that had been a result of TAPP. The technology had been a gift but all gifts come with a price, and this one had a vast number. Not only did TAPP over-stimulate the brain, but once the individual ceased using it, the deprivation of stimulus would cause dopamine levels to drop and several possible outcomes. The first being the lack of the sense of time, when trapped in the system measuring time was impossible and irrelevant, it was ingrained into the mind as the time was set to the servers. The second being inability to discern dreams from reality, this was also a result of over stimulation. The world crept back up on the weary man, his eyes slowly opening to find himself in a dark room, it was still, so still it couldn’t have been right.

There was a line in his arm and only then did he realize how badly he must have crashed if he was still hooked up to a stabilizer. His fingers twitched as he attempted to lift his arm, it was heavy, they didn’t allow him to come out of it fully – they had given him a sedative to keep him calm. They didn’t want to have to fight him into the chair, he sighed, they had taken the easy way out. He supposed he should rejoice in the fact that he wasn’t chained to it like the first time. Ahsan’s airy voice was beside him, “I didn’t think they would attempt to do that to you, I’m sorry,” she stated as she adjusted his lines, “The first time is always a bit taxing,” she began.

Stark hissed, he knew that, she wasn’t telling him anything new. Part of him wished she was, he wished he had never been in TAPP before. “I need to check and see how they did putting the port in,” she stated, Nathanial realized then his hiss had been mistaken for a sound of pain. It wasn’t all that unusual, as he slowly rolled to his side, careful not to pull the line out. He could feel the gentle give of the mattress, it would explain the lack of strain on his back. She had placed him on a soft surface he must have gone into shock. There was a sharp intake of air he could feel the cool lick of the compartment against the base of his skull. Silence followed, as he closed his eyes, it was always awkward for people to discover he had the port. Delicate fingers traced the scared skin, “This is old,” she stated, “far older than the others.”

He had been one of the few out of the third testing group to survive the implantation and the concoctions used as coolant. “You,” she whispered, “You’re the one they were talking about when they brought that poor boy.” Nathanial was silent, of course they had located another child, “He was beautiful, even if he had pointed ears,” she babbled. Green eyes snapped open, humans didn’t have pointed ears, only Vulcans did. He quickly rolled over to face her, the action tugged at the line in his arm but he didn’t care at the moment, she had just said something far more interesting. A Vulcan child was on this ship, or at least had been. “A child with dark eyes, dark hair and olive skin, he also had pointed ears?” he asked.

Ahsan nodded nervously, her teeth sank into her full pink lower lip. “V’Lor,” he whispered in shock. He had finally learned where the boy had gotten off to. “He died during the initial testing,” she said slowly. Nathanial ignored the protest of his limbs as he sat up, he needed to know what happened to the child. V’Lor was supposed to have died in a warehouse and now he was learning that the child had been subjected to TAPP. “What did they want with him?” asked Stark as he fought the sedative to sit up, he wasn’t going to take a passive role, not in this. He could still remember his own terror when he had first been thrust into the realm of TAPP. “How did they get him to interact with it? Was a special coolant used? Where is his body? Are they still experimenting on other species or is it only Vulcan?” he asked in a rush. His mind had kicked its self into high gear.

Dark eyes widened as she held her hands up, “Slow down, Commander or you will injure yourself,” she stated, a feeble attempt to assert control over him. He glared at her, as he finally managed to get his limbs to cooperate and lift himself off the mattress. “No, answer my questions,” he replied with haste, his mind was running a mile a minute, he had been in TAPP for many years, but a Vulcan, that was a very very fast mind. Not only did they have a higher IQ but they were far more intelligent than a human, it was a serious upgrade and he could only wonder just what they were intending to do with a Vulcan. Ashan looked to the floor as she drew a breath, “I don’t know,” was all she could reply, resulting in his anger to simmer hotter.

The gall of having a Vulcan chained to TAPP and now she was claiming she was left in the dark. He was about to shout when she held her hand up to him and slowly began to adjust his line as she crossed her arm, then he noticed the scars that littered her arms, they were risen and noticeable in the dim lighting. He would have mistaken them as being self inflicted if he hadn’t noticed just how deep some of them had to have been to leave such a pronounced scar. “I don’t know because I was brought in to save him,” she stated as she looked across the room, her eyes never making contact with him. “I was abducted from the hospital I was working in to do this,” she began, “there are some places where modern medicine is rare and the people suffer, it isn’t as bad as it had been centuries ago. However, the gap is noticeable.” She gripped her arms, her knuckles turning lighter as she did so and her hair falling in her eyes, “My father was a surgeon in a hospital that was barely staff with little money, we had been operating off of the graciousness of the Vulcans and Denobulans. I was raised where people were lucky to have clean water, and crops, medicine was more common than it had been but there wasn’t always enough. It wasn’t as bad as the slums according to history, but,” she paused as she swept her hair out of her face, “it wasn’t much better.”

Nathanial was about to snap when he noticed the deep scar on the side of her arm, “When I was older, I ran into those who would refuse treatment and turn violent, believing I was harming them. Others would turn violent because I wasn’t treating them. There were days I couldn’t win,” she explained. Stark was still, he had heard that there were places that seemed to have been lost to time, but he didn’t think that there was one on Earth still. However, it didn’t explain how she was supposed to save the Vulcan. “I was a Starfleet medical officer who had been sent to the VSA in order to learn about Vulcan Anatomy and research new vaccines, it was an honor seeing as I was one of ten humans allowed to visit the planet,” she explained, “I specialized in neurological sciences on a molecular level.”

“My father is ill, he needed help running the hospital, its small but we manage. I was walking home when I was grabbed. My training did help me some, however, we had also been told if we were grabbed to expect a scenario where we would end up being taken to treat someone,” she explained her palm sweeping through the air, “it's counterproductive, but sometimes as a doctor it's safer to rely on skills than it is to try to escape.” Stark was silent, he was well aware that was part of the training, he had implemented it after watching doctors being abducted in other areas of the world, it was a way to keep them safe so Starfleet could locate them, however she wouldn’t know that portion of the protocol. That was his to know and the reason why his ships were alerted when people went missing as well as security mainframes.

Yet, he didn’t receive and alert, no one did. He didn’t even know a doctor was missing, which perplexed him. The system was impossible to alter the system, somehow he would always know, their identification number would appear as well as GPS or IGPS quadrants. It was a quick system that was one of the most efficient created. Her number never appeared, it was as though she didn’t exist, but he would recognize the stance of a Starfleet doctor any day. “I woke here, with someone screaming at me to save him,” she stated.

Emerald eyes narrowed as he asked, “Why didn’t you call him a Vulcan?”

Ashan looked up at him, her gaze was filled with fire as she responded, “Why didn’t you tell me you had a port at the base of your skull?”

It had come down to trust and in that moment neither of them trusted each other. Now, they would have no choice, he knew she was from Starfleet and chances where she knew who he was. There was no pretending, “The damage?” he asked after a beat, if he was going to determine what had occurred he would have to have an idea as to the damage in his brain. It was a guarantee the boy fought, there wasn’t anyone to tell him not to, to allow it to enter. Vulcans were taught to protect themselves at a young age, especially on that front, just as earth telepaths and watchers were. The difference was, they had also been told if captured and put in a position where escape is impossible to do one of two things, submit and withhold dangerous information or to kill themselves.

She shook her head, “Too great for me to heal, he had fought it. I do know however he was inside TAPP, but had ripped himself out of it. They didn’t give him enough suppressant,” she explained. Stark hummed, he knew that would occur, it would require a different combination of chemicals, something that wasn’t worth the effort. None of it made sense, the reason behind grabbing a Vulcan child was daring, and even he could see the risk was too great. “Why did they hook him up?” he asked curiously, there had to be a reason to risk infuriating the Vulcans.

Vulcans had edict memories, it was impossible for them to forget anything. Not to mention the fact that they were some of the most brilliant programs he had ever seen, they could find programs nestled within the most complex of nests. He froze, “When, when did they attempt to hook him up?” he asked, timing was everything. Ashan blinked as she replied, “11 years ago, I think.” Nathanial’s blood went cold, that was the day he had been freed. That was the same time a memory lattice from Global Dynamics had gone missing. He could remember because it was hidden away, no one knew what was on it, but oddly a man who didn’t even know who they were had walked in and taken it, without a challenge. The lattice then vanished entirely.

Nathanial looked to her and shivered, this was getting complicated, he had been disconnected for several years, but someone was sending a Vulcan into TAPP, the reason eluded him. “He said he was sent to find something,” she continued, her brow furrowed in concentration as she attempted to remember what the young Vulcan had whispered, “I don’t know what, but he kept saying _Tel-alep_ and _klashausu._ ” He had heard those words before, but in an entirely different context, “The first meaning Watcher, usually religious or knowledge in nature, but the second simply means guard,” she elaborated. Stark shook his head, that wasn’t what it meant this time, at least he didn’t think it was, “No.”

Ashan crossed her arms and with trepidation snapped, “Oh? So you speak Vulcan?” Stark swept a hand through his hair nervously, he had heard of a project, but he had no idea what it did. “Sentinel, that’s what it means,” he stated, “Watcher and Sentinel.” Realization dawned upon him, those words, they were from the Physicist lying unconscious across the room. They seemed random, but if the boy was repeating them, then it was why he had been sent there.  Yet, it was simply a project, there had been nearly no record of it ever existing. Not a scrap of paper officially existed, what ever the project was it had been wiped out and lost to time. “Sentinel and guards are the same thing,” Ashan mused. Stark was still, he remembered those words, but couldn’t remember where they were from, other than he had been browsing a journal.

Journal, he froze, a leather bound book that had been dearly abused, and owned by a man who no one thought dangerous, a book that was currently aboard the _Enterprise_ in the hands of Captain Archer. “Max, he had written those words down, but what the hell does it mean?” he asked, now he needed to get into TAPP and ask the elder Stark, he would interrogate him if he had to. She sighed and replied, “I don’t know, but I have a feeling he isn’t the last Vulcan they have attempted it with, there have been strange imports coming through the docks.”

He was shaken from his thoughts at that comment, “What kind of imports?” he asked curiously. If it was parts for another chair he would be far more worried, but he had a feeling she had noticed something else. “Not parts, but supplements, one of them being copper,” she stated, “which is used by-“ Stark felt his blood run cold as he whispered, “Vulcans.” There was a Vulcan on the base, now that the chair worked, he didn’t want to think of the possibility of a Vulcan being subjected to such a violent act. “Ashan, you need to find out who, where and why the Vulcan is here. If they are going to be shoved into the chair, you need to get him out,” he explained. She looked more nervous than before as he looked across the room, “I’ll fend for myself. We need to know what’s going on, because if there is a Vulcan here, things are not going to end well.”

He knew what he was proposing came with a great deal of risk, however, this wasn’t as simple as designing something anymore, it was something else. The elder had stated that while they were in suspension they could do even more, they could see beyond the limits of a trapped entity, but this went beyond that. “What if they attempt to force you into the chair?” she asked. Nathanial looked up at her, he decided in that moment to not tell her who he had met inside. He would leave that as an escape plan in case he was wrong about her. “I’ll live, been through it before,” he replied as he looked to the doors, “They’re going to collect you soon. You need to find out just where the Vulcan is on board and what they intend to do with them. See if you can find out what V’Lor was supposed to do as well, perhaps he could help.”

Ashan opened her mouth to speak only for the hydraulic doors to hiss, and the sound of military boots storm into the room. “You are needed on deck five,” stated a gruff voice. She nodded as she left the room, he watched her fleeting form before the doors slammed closed. Now all he could do was wait, and hope she would find just what was going on, it was more than they had been leading on.

~~vOv~~

 

Slick lines, dark cantors, and technology that had managed perplex even the most attentive of minds on the Enterprise, rested in a dark palm. Dark eyes stared at it with interest, not even the Vulcan Science Academy had managed to craft a piece of technology that had eluded him. He had heard Soval speak of humanity’s technology as rough and abrasive in nature, not to mention primitive. Yet, within the past few days, he had come across things that were far more complex than he could ever create. He had to get the pyramid to Major Forrest, then they would begin to understand what all these clues were leading to. There was a great deal at stake, trade between worlds was hanging in the balance and with the terrorist attacks on Earth, the situation only escalated.

Sarek drew a deep breath, he could remember how the sandstorms raged on Vulcan, they were violent and scared many children. Yet he was never afraid of them, he enjoyed them. The logical part of his mind had told him that they were merely his planets way of finding equilibrium, that the storm was a result of a number of meteoric factors. However, he reveled in them, it wasn’t the power or energy in the air that he enjoyed, rather it was how such forces could create something so volatile but essential. The robe he was wrapped in felt odd, T’Pol had loaned him a meditation robe, but for the most part he was clothed in spare clothing that several passengers had been willing to give him.

He had heard many things about humans, that they were difficult, brash and uncouth. Many on Vulcan had considered them a nuisance, unable to see past themselves.

He didn’t agree.

In the past week he had witnessed humanity at both its worst and its finest. Archer didn’t have to save him, or even attempt to save his crew. The Captain could have left him to perish, Vulcan wouldn’t have been irate, he had stolen the ship. They would care more about the stolen prototype than anything else. Captain Archer did aid him. Phlox had treated his injuries, the crew had loaned him clothing and done what they believed necessary to help him. It was odd how a ship filled with diverse people could come together to help someone in need. He had witnessed kindness, acts of concern and many of curiosity. A smile curled the corners of his lips, they were as curious as children on Vulcan, it was in many ways admirable. Their sense of duty was reassuring, and compassion toward living things was something he honored – even if a majority of them ate meat.

His fingers slipped over the sides of the pyramid again, he had also witnessed some of the most advanced technology to date. It wasn’t the _Enterprise_ , it was the technology in his hand, the fragments of the worm, the code that had been slumbering in the systems of the ship and the programs Katharine had wielded. For decades they had looked down on humanity’s capabilities, and now it appeared that they had grossly underestimated them. At least, one in particular, Stark, he had underestimated one of the men who had been considered the father of Warp Theory. There was more to it, there was something important occurring, and he was trapped in the middle. He had left Vulcan to alert Soval of interesting information that the government wasn’t responding in kind to the issues with their ships, they had been ignoring it. Now the stakes seemed higher and whatever was hiding in the shadows, was far more dangerous that miss reading weapons signatures and warp drives on vessels.

Whatever humanity had created, he knew it was dangerous.

A sigh left his lips, he had meditated for hours in hopes to find balance, yet it eluded him. His mind was a flurry of questions, and the lack of answers annoyed him. Without pause he slipped out of his room, and decided to seek the company of Archer once again. The journal he had been reading was important, its owner was certainly someone of influence. Within the pages of the old volume, he could tell there were a great many secrets, some so dark that it was probably the first time they had been read by those who were not directly related to the subject. Sarek slipped his hands into the sleeves of the meditation robe as he began to stalk the hallways, the pieces of the puzzle still fluttered in his mind.

He had always been intrigued by puzzles, it was one of the many reasons he desired to become an Ambassador, to see just how it was possible to create order from the chaos of something like the Collation of Planets.  Yet, this was by far his most challenging, not only due to the technology, but the human element. Vulcans were creative in their own way, but never before had he seen such great lengths gone to protect something, it was as though if they learned of this information it could possibly destroy the delicate relationships they were attempting to keep.

The ship, he had destroyed one of Vulcan’s fastest ships to bring Soval information, that wasn’t nearly as important as the rest of the pieces of the puzzle. His father would have berated him for his stupidity and irrational behavior, to lose life and a ship was inexcusable over something that paled in comparison to the rest of the information. His mother, T’Pau, wouldn’t be forgiving, she would probably demand his dismissal. The missive had yet to arrive, however, he knew it would in due course. If he was dismissed, he would have to return to Vulcan, which would destroy all hopes of saving their delicate alliance with other world. The signals, and weapons signatures had done irrefutable damage, to both sides. Vulcan was losing patients with other worlds, and other worlds didn’t trust them, which resulted in a rapid movement to militarize.

The notion of planets militarizing did not sit well with him. Vulcan wasn’t intimidated by this aspect, it was more concerned, if Andoria were to challenge them, and they could destroy entire sectors of galaxies. It was what had occurred in the first war.

There was a whisper, distracting him from his turmoil for a breath his dark eyes fell on T’Pol. She was standing before him with a PADD in her hands. Her eyes were spoke volumes, “We are unable to dock, we are early from our mission and the Admiralty will not allow us to leave the ship,” she stated. Sarek was still, they were not being allowed to dock or send a shuttle; it was too convenient to not be something to thwart their mission to reach the Ambassador and Major. “What is their reason?” he asked as he fell in step beside her, only to notice Trip walking toward them. T’Pol held her hands behind her back as she continued, “They claim it is a matter of security due to their annual gala.” Trip huffed; it was a sound he had quickly learned meant irritation from the Engineer.

The blonde crossed his arms and said, “If its security protocols, then they wouldn’t mind Enterprise docking, we are the flagship and Captain Archer is one of the most renowned Captains in the felt. No something’s up.” Sarek nodded in accord, while Vulcans were prone to fall into the grips of paranoia, he didn’t believe this was. It was too well timed, “It is not, they are blocking us,” he stated. It was the most logical move, to block those who could potentially overturn the current status quote of the planet. It was bold of their adversary to do such a thing, Enterprise was a powerful ship and Archer had proven himself to be more than capable. The trio began to head toward the Bridge, Archer was most likely attempting to contact anyone on the planet’s surface that would listen.

Trip hadn’t asked T’Pol to spend time with him, they had been preoccupied with the new information they had received. Each of them stepped into the turbo lift, his mind was in turmoil as he attempted create order. He had played KlacTow as a child but this wasn’t as simple. If it was, he wouldn’t have been sent to learn under Soval. The lift came to a halt and he was quick to follow the pair onto the bridge. It had become a regular occurrence for him to be on the bridge with Archer, as irritating his illogical behavior was at times.

Leaning over his station was Reed, his dark hair was mussed slightly as his fingers swept over the console. His brows were pinched in concentration as he glared at the screen, it was clear he was scanning the planet. The Englishman had proven to be quite the tactical officer, yet, when faced with the advanced technologies he had quickly left it to T’Pol, Trip and himself. “Sir, I’m getting a strange reading from the moon,” Reed stated, his accent was thick, a clear indication that the young man was exhausted. Archer turned in his chair to look at the Englishman. Sarek noticed Reed didn’t flinch as he continued, “I’m not sure what, there are shields around it, but I didn’t think the lunar mining colony was putting out enough information to cause distortions like this,” he explained. Archer left his place to look over the man’s shoulder. From the expression on Archer’s face, he knew the readings were odd.

The Captain hummed as he replied, “We know they had indented to implement a new communications unit there, but keep an eye on it.” Reed nodded as he continued to work. Sarek slowly approached the Captain, this entire situation was a tender one, and while he did not want to appear to be stepping out of his place. There were no protocols for a situation such as this, yet he had no desire to create any unnecessary friction in a place that was already charged. “What is our next course of action?” asked Sarek as he stood beside Archer. The Captain crossed his arms, his hands wrapping around his biceps as he did so and he looked at the screen, he could see the space docks clearly but noticed the security shuttles flying about, the activity was high.

“Nothing, we wait. I can’t bust down the door, as much as I would like to. It would be too risky,” he explained.

Risk, their entire endeavor had been laced with it, now he had to wait while the situation escalated. Then again, patients were the key to slaying any opponent.

 

~~vOv~~

 

The presentation ended with gusto hours ago, the room had erupted in applause, as guests began to chatter about the many accomplishments of PRION and Starfleet. It seemed to be the newest topic to discuss and Kate felt ice churn in her stomach, not a single individual, save the Ambassador, she and Shran seemed to understand the implications of such power. Admiral Gardner was floating through the room, with the Chairman of PRION in tow, as if to display all of his admirable work. Kate kept an eye on the exits as well as those who were working toward getting closer to the Ambassador as Soval spoke with various diplomats. There were many that had purposely avoided him, due to the issues involving Vulcan vessels as well as their latest entanglement for nearly being evicted from the Collation. This did not perturb the Ambassador as he spoke with the Denobulans.

His tone was firm, despite his hushed volume, it was apparent he did not wish to draw attention to his concerns. “Kessil, we are not dealing with the norm, they possess technology they should not. We may assist them, but a majority of it was not a result of our dealings,” Soval stated as he stood with the graceful Denobulan, she was draped in a long green and cream dress, it was unusual but beautiful. Kessil, however, seemed far more tense, and concern laced her every word. “Soval, I’m aware, however there is little we can do to ensure that we do not get trapped in a place we are unable to break away from,” she advised. Soval was still as he swept his fingers over her skin. Kate froze as she felt his hot fingers sweep over the tender skin, only to feel his concern and irritation seep through. This wasn’t good, if only the Andorians were going to support them, than they were doomed. The Vulcans and Andorians were powerful, but they needed the other members to see reason.

Suddenly discomfort rippled through her, she was being watched. All evening eyes had been following her of curious guests over her presence with the Ambassador, however this gaze was different, it was dangerous. She tensed as she slowly slipped her arm out of the Vulcan’s grip. Soval’s gaze flickered to her curiously, only for him to nod. He had become very good at reading her, even if it was unconventional. Kate was about to pull away when she heard a stiff voice that reminded her of engine grease, “Major Forrest, it’s a pleasure to see you in attendance.” Soval and Kessil fell silent as she turned around, standing decked in brilliant blue was none other than Admiral Gardner. He was with the Chairman of PRION, whose eyes hadn’t left her body. Kate wasn’t a fool, she knew the dress flattered her curves and gave her the impression that she stood above men. It was the reason Amanda had been hell bent on her wearing it.

Kate smiled warmly, “It is always wonderful to see meet the Ambassadors of other worlds, and see our partnership with private companies which support us,” she said. There was a silence that settled over the individuals who had heard the remark. Soval stiffened slightly, Kate could tell he wasn’t pleased with her blatantly obvious attack on the Admiral. She ignored him as Gardner smiled, his teeth seemed to spark in the light, the smile itself was ice cold, despite his efforts. “We always support our friends Major Forrest,” he stated with ease, “I was hoping that I could ask you to join me for a dance, just a quick one, I’m aware the Ambassador has yet to dance with you, however I’m certain he will allow this.” The man’s eyes flickered to Soval, his gaze was harsh and cool, it had been a veiled threat. She could feel the tension in the air between the two, Soval had been keen at keeping her by his side, and the way he had acted after rousing her from the horrible dream was certainly a hint that he cared for her, at least enough to make sure she was alright. Kate was about to reply when Soval stated, “That question is for her to answer, she does not require my permission to do as she pleases, she is an adult and I am not her chaperone.”

Kate froze, that was a first, he was usually possessive, impossible to negotiate with and generally bull headed. She had expected him to sweep in and refuse, she felt slightly ruffled by this. Before Soval had kept her within reach, the entire evening she had been three steps behind him, it was odd but it seemed to be what he liked. Yet, now he was allowing her to dance with another. Suran had mentioned off-hand once, that the Ambassador wasn’t going to allow harm to fall upon her, and the Ambassador seemed hell-bent on making sure it didn’t. Dancing with Gardner wasn’t life threatening, however it was dangerous in other ways.

Crystal blue eyes glanced in her direction, it was then she noticed he was up to something, they were a little too bright, as though he had been searching for an opportunity to do something. The Chairman of PRION would be away from Gardner, which meant he would be able to question him and learn about the technology. It was then she understood Soval’s intentions, he wanted to see just how much had been stolen and ascertain their plans.

Kate’s lips twisted into a coy smile, there was a reason he was the Ambassador, and this was clearly one of his many charms. Gardner cleared his throat as he extended his hand, “Of course, then we will do a dance that is meant for adults,” he replied. Kate internally cringed, Gardner had always been her least favorite and while the idea of his hands all over her wasn’t pleasant, she knew it was better than Terra Prime learning they knew Gardner was an associate.

She flashed a smirk as she slipped her hand into his waiting palm, “A foxtrot then,” she stated, it was repulsive, the one she wanted to do such a dance with was dressed in flowing robes. She heard a huff on her left and noticed Soval looked even more irritated, it wasn’t a secret that the foxtrot was her favorite dance, she and her father had danced it before at events. She followed him to the floor, and mentally prayed that she wouldn’t have to dance with the man long. The sound of a lonesome clarinet echoed through the room, and she stiffened, that was the song she and her father danced to. Kate’s eyes flashed dangerously as Gardner adjusted his hold on her, he took a step back and she fell into the hasty and unbalanced steps of the Admiral.

Gardner had never proven himself the dancer, he had always been an accident waiting to happen, at least that was how her father had described the many waltz lessons. He pulled her closer and she forced a smile to curl her lips, “You’ve grown up into a beautiful woman, the uniform doesn’t do you justice,” he whispered, his tone was darker and Kate tipped her head to the side as he did a quick step to the side. She hummed as she floated across the floor, only to battle the poor leading of the Admiral, his grip on her hand was like a vise, “I had no idea you would look at your mentor’s daughter in such a fashion,” she replied starkly.

Kate found herself being spun out as he smirked, “You were difficult to ignore, and still are,” he replied. He was flirting, he was blatantly flirting with a deceased Admiral’s Daughter, the audacity he possessed seemed to know no bounds. She spun into him and replied, “Which part, the fact I have curves or that I’m protecting the Ambassadors?” Cool gray eyes narrowed slightly, they seemed to slice through her, and she smirked, this time it was her turn to make him uncomfortable. “I remember you being assigned to only Soval,” he stated with conviction, “If you break your orders Major, I’ll have you shipped off the planet to guard a little junk shipment.” The music seemed to pick up as the all too familiar echo of the clarinet seemed to soar, yet neither of them had picked up intensity.

That was a threat she could live with, she knew being shipped away was only the worst he could do. “I wouldn’t have dreamed of it, if you hadn’t been involved in the attack on the embassy,” she stated, “It could have been prevented, yet we did nothing. There had to be massive communications to create something of such scale.” Communications she noted, that would have soared around the planet and made noise on several records where the Fleet had been keeping its ear to the ground. The Admiral looked down his nose at her, “That is a steep accusation Major, remember just who you are speaking to,” he stated.

He was squirming, she could feel his heart rate pick up, and noticed the perspiration as well as the twitch at the corner of his eyes. He was lying. She had him, all she had to do was apply pressure, “I’m not accusing you, I’m stating a fact, Star Fleet could have intervened, but didn’t,” she said, her voice was as clear as a bell as she did so. His hand squeezed even harder, and she felt pain shoot through her arm, he wasn’t as weak as she anticipated. Most admirals had lost their strength from sitting at a desk too long, he hadn’t. Gardner leaned forward, his cheap cologne filled her nose as he whispered in her ear, “You are playing a dangerous game Forrest, I suggest you stop.”

Kate ignored the change in his grip in favor of getting what she needed, “Is that a threat Admiral?” she asked with a sly grin. Admiral Forrest leveled her with a glare, “We were attempting to prevent a larger number of attacks Major, you know this. Do not make me discharge you dishonorably,” he hissed. A discharge, she had heard that threat before, while she would previously have stopped to prevent dishonoring her father she wasn’t about to. She had to protect the Ambassador and that meant going further, just a little more pressure, “That was what the release read, but what kind of attack, the bombs or the worm? I’m a bit confused.”

“Major Forrest,” he hissed, his expression darkened substantially as he pulled her closer and whispered, “I have warned you. If you pursue this, if you continue to chase this, you will die.” Death, there it was, the threat. She had it, “Do I make myself clear,” he hissed as he continued, only rather than squeezing her hand he began to twist her wrist. This time the pain shot through her, only now did she realize the position she had allowed herself to be worked into. She grit her teeth and was about to lash out when she noticed a firm voice behind her. “Admiral, I believe the dance has ended,” came a firm but emotionless voice, Soval had intervened. The Admiral slowly released her and smiled, “I’m afraid her beauty blinded me,” he explained lamely.

She watched a smile curl his lips as he pulled her into a hug and whispered, “If you do continue, please know, it won’t just be your body in the ditch, but his as well,” before pulling away. Her body froze, Soval, Gardner would find a way to harm him, and render all her work useless. Her father’s work would be moot and she would have destroyed all hopes of creating a Federation. The tight and constricting embrace forced her mind into awareness as the memory that haunted her being threatened to reappear. Her chest was tight as she fought the need to flee, to do so would give him an ample amount of courage and the belief that he had won. She couldn’t allow that in that moment, Kate closed her eyes in an attempt to repress the feeling of fetters being placed on her wrists and ankles, locking her in place.

“I believe this dance is mine,” proclaimed a voice, it was stalwart and filled with conviction. She slowly felt the tension slip away as the sound of his deep and lush vowels caressed her ears. Gardner backed away slowly, “I see, but as you pointed out she is a woman now, and I am having this dance,” replied Gardner with irritation, his tone suggesting that he hadn’t finished with her, a concept that made her shiver with discomfort.  “Major?” asked the Ambassador, his voice was like chocolate of the highest quality – thick, lush and like velvet to the ears a sensual experience that made the chill of Gardner recede and his searing heat of Vulcan’s twin suns invade her very essence. She was silent as she slowly turned to him her eyes opening as she did so, “Yes?” she replied hesitantly, her tongue was thick in her mouth, he didn’t sound like the usually stoic ambassador but the passionate Vulcan she had met by the frozen lake.

Crystal blue eyes fell upon Soval, his robes draped over him, making him seem far more intimidating that Gardner, his very aura outstripped that of the Admiral. Yet, she wasn’t afraid, his large hand was extended to her, palm upward waiting for her to accept his invitation to walk beside him and away from a source of discomfort. She had decided that day, the first time they met she would walk beside him, regardless of his opinion of her. It had seemed like a painful proposition, the rewards had been minuscule, but since the night before he was acting differently than he had before, he was protective, attentive and keen to please her. His brown eyes burned into her, their intensity made her lick her lips, it was like every other experience she had with this man, fast, intelligent and with an intensity that made her feel as though her veins were being lit aflame.

Her eyes fell on the waiting hand, there was a mummer in the room as he asked, “May I have this dance?” A Vulcan dancing, it wasn’t normal, it wasn’t something that was part of being an Ambassador, it was part of being Soval. The flutter of a waltz filled the air, it was odd, she had hoped to dance the foxtrot with him, only for her to desire his waltz after the Admiral had tortured her. “Yes,” she replied without hesitation as she slipped her hand into his, it was warmer, a little dry but softer than she expected. They had practiced but she wore gloves the entire time. This time, she could feel the calluses from his lirpa, his firm but tender grasp as he held her. Amusement shot through her as he took the first step, leading her across the floor, his pace in key with hers.

Her heart was pounding as she felt the searing heat of his hand rest on her back, the thin fabric doing little to separate her from it. It wasn’t unpleasant, as she felt a tingle slipping over her skin, a warmth that wrapped every fiber of her being into a cocoon of silk and caressed her with a tenderness she had never known. His other hand wrapped around hers as he assumed the posture, his dark eyes fell on hers, she noticed his gaze seemed to spark with both triumph and one she didn’t recognize. She felt herself step back and at first thought he would battle her the entire time, only to find herself fall into the familiar pace he had always set, his pace. Soval’s steps made her feel as though he wasn’t pulling her or leading her, but enjoying her time and touch. A notion that made her a little curious, she had known about his wife, but wondered if there had been another, or would ever be.

His relentless but enticing pace, one that had forced her to bend on many occasions, and while she had always despised it, now she craved it.  The steps were fading into the back of her mind as she allowed him to do as he pleased, his grace outstripped Gardner’s by a long shot. Never before had she felt safe in the arms of a man, not after that night, suddenly she was allowing herself to be swept away by a Vulcan man, something she had never dreamed of. 

“Enterprise is unable to dock,” Soval stated in a hushed tone, one that had snapped her back to reality. They were on their own unless Archer could force them to dock, which wasn’t likely since Gardner was clearly up to something. Soval was quick to dip her backward, she smiled broadly as she leaned back, knowing the powerful arms of the Vulcan she had chosen to dance with would always be there. “We have to help them, I need the cipher, if I can get to the mainframe I’ll be able to override the protocols,” she whispered.

The Ambassador froze mid-step, his nostrils flared with irritation and she noticed a flash of anger seep into her. It was foreign and confusing, until she realized it didn’t belong to her. “No,” he stated fiercely. Kate’s eyes widened as she pulled back slightly. The music had ended and they were quick to make an exit, “No?” she asked as he gripped her wrist and began to drag her away. Kate winced as he gripped her twisted wrist, but didn’t comment, she knew not to provoke an irate Vulcan, especially the Ambassador. “Ambassador?” she asked rapidly as he pulled her outside, the air on the balcony nipped at her skin, it was cold and seemed to chase all the warmth she had pulled from him away.

Dark eyes fell on her, his brows furrowed as he gripped her arms, “You will not act upon that suggestion,” he seethed. His anger, it slammed into her like a wave, nearly knocking the wind out of her lungs. She could feel his grip tighten and remembered how he was lost for a moment in the consulate, the memory of him loathing himself for harming her hung in her mind. She slowly reached out and slipped her fingers over his, “Soval, I wouldn’t do it if there wasn’t another way,” she replied. The Ambassador was still tense but seemed to return to himself as he seemed to relax, while his hands didn’t leave her arms, his grip was significantly less.

The Vulcan dipped his head, she could feel his distress as she stated, “We know we have to get Archer to dock and I have a feeling those logs could show us even more than that.” Soval closed his eyes, she could see him attempting to bring order to his mind. Kate’s fingers swept over his as she kept her mind as warm and peaceful as possible. The tension in the Ambassador faded even more as he stated, “You are saying you will commit and act of treason, this will lead to your death, hacking PRION was the first, Starfleet is a greater risk.” She knew it was a risk, she also knew Gardner had kept his logs with even private travel somewhere, he was intelligent and slimy but not smart enough to hack the automatic system.

“The risk is too great,” Soval whispered firmly. The risk was high, but the risk of them being destroyed by the technology PRION was about to put in service was greater. The Ambassador bowed his head and whispered, “I know, Kate, I know the danger of those implementations. I can’t risk your life, you are important.” The MACCO paused, she had forgotten he could hear her thoughts, she didn’t realize he would answer them. Then again, with his emotional distress it was probably easier. “Soval, we have to do this, if we don’t then we all will perish, Terra Prime is up to something and while Starfleet isn’t sporting the logo, we know it's part of it,” she stated.

Soval was about to reply when the doors which had lead to the balcony opened, a waiter was walking over to them with a tray holding two glasses of water. Both of them watched the young man with curiosity, it was unusual for a waiter to remember that Vulcan’s did not consume liquor. “It was sent by the aid and his companion,” explained the young man, he was rather nervous and Kate was quick to take pity on him, facing Soval wasn’t easy. “Thank you,” she said as he approached them with caution. A smile graced the young man’s lips as he stood before them and offered the glasses on the tray. Soval collected the glass and Kate followed suit, her eyes flickered to a mark on the side of his neck. It wasn’t unusual for wait staff to have tattoos but she also knew that they had been informed to not have them showing, since there were several cultures in attendance that did not approve of them. “You should fix your collar,” Kate said warmly. The Waiter paused and stared at her with wide eyes, “You’re tattoo is showing,” she explained, her eyes tracing the lines of a bright blue pyramid, with what looked like a globe inside of it.

The young man blushed as he hitched his collar up, and adjusted his tie to hold it in place. “Thanks,” he murmured before stepping away. The glass of water was cool in her palm, without hesitation she lifted it to her lips and took a sip. “I understand, however, allow me to speak with Admiral Schneider, he has aided us in the past, and I will not risk harm to you or Amanda,” he commanded, he wasn’t asking and Kate sighed as she felt the cool water slip down her throat chasing away the dryness that had resulted from his anger. “Of course, try that, and if it doesn’t work, we do it my way,” she stated. Soval arched a brow, and she sighed, “Let’s go deal with Schneider,” she stated. She may not have been a fan of the Admiral, but knew all too well that he was probably their only ally.

The Ambassador lowered his arms as Kate shivered from the loss of contact. It wasn’t the first time she had felt off after he had released her, it was as though she was cold and empty. Kate banished the thought as they were about to walk back into the room, when Admiral Schindler slipped onto the balcony, his gaze found theirs which had been a clear indication that he was already interested in assisting them. His dress blues stood out against the gold light, “Major Forrest, Ambassador,” he said gruffly, his voice was scratchy from years of abuse due to shouting and smoking. Schneider was a tall and rather lanky man, he had a pair of dark brown eyes, that were nearly black and ruffled mouse brown hair. His beard was trimmed into a neat goatee, and he stood at attention. “Admiral,” Kate replied with a nod, amusement coursing through her as the man in question looked to the Ambassador.

He looked around before stating, “The Enterprise is in orbit, and Gardner will not allow them to dock.” Soval and Kate exchanged a look, why he would inform them of such a thing confused them both, Kate knew it would. She wasn’t the most loved MACCO in Star Fleet and the man before her usually possessed more tact. “I don’t have time, I know Garnder is up to something, I can’t figure out what, but by keeping Archer away I know it isn’t good,” he explained in a hushed tone, his voice was rapid and faster than she had ever heard him speak. The urgency was etched into his features, “We have to get them to dock, I need something off the ship,” she whispered to Soval. The Vulcan Ambassador quirked a brow before responding, “At what cost?” it was a valid question, and one she despised answering.

Kate looked at Schindler and asked, “You can’t override it?” He shook his head solemnly, “No, Star Fleet is not going where I wish it to,” he explained. The blonde nodded in understanding, in the past few months she had seen some of the worst of the Fleet, and wondered how so many planets even spoke to them. She had to do it, she was about to commit treason, her gaze floated to Soval. Hazel eyes fell on her, his nostrils flared with displeasure, his plan had failed and now she was about to break the law. Schnieder looked at them and continued, “I can not give you the order.” She knew that, but also knew it was their only way to prevent even more of a disaster from occurring.

“That’s the beauty of it, you don’t have to,” she stated as she held up Gardner’s access key. She had swiped it during their dance, it was easy considering he was focused on where his feet were going, it was nothing like dancing with Soval. Schnider smiled a little, “It’s nice to know you haven’t changed, I was worried they would have you following the rules,” he stated in good humor as he jabbed his thumb at the Ambassador. Kate chuckled as she watched Soval’s eye twitch, he was clearly fighting the urge to harm the Admiral. “Nope, as much as he can’t stand it,” she replied, that was also true, “There is only one way to access those controls, and that is in my father’s office, which is across the building.” They would have a single shot, the party gave them the window now all she had to do was run as fast as she could.

They needed a distraction something to keep Gardner from his office, something that would hold his interest as well as the security detail. “Amanda,” she said with a grin, she looked to the Ambassador and then to the Admiral, “Admiral, do me a favor, and tell Major Cole to do that thing we did at the Medical Exchange, she always did get a kick out of that kind of stuff,” she stated. Kate watched as both men had their eyebrows in their hairlines, and she snickered, it was always the same reaction when Amanda was involved. “Major, you may have gotten your rank from that kind of stunt, however you are pushing it,” he stated. Kate shrugged and replied, “Yes, but do you know of a better distraction? Besides, you don’t know what’s going on.” The Admiral heaved a sigh as he stalked away, leaving a rather confused Soval in her presence. She could practically hear the questions in his head.

“Just what happened at that Exchange?” he asked, his tone was dark and she could tell he wasn’t going to be overly enthusiastic bout the idea.

The MACCO grinned as they left the balcony, her eyes were trained on Amanda and Suran. She watched Amanda nearly jump with joy as she tossed Kate a grateful look. Amanda was never one for events with dresses and Kate had a feeling she was going to enjoy this distraction a little too much. In a flash she was walking out of the room, “Katharine,” warned Soval. Kate chuckled as she looked over her shoulder and asked, “Ever heard Amanda sing Jazz?”


	17. Misbehavior Always Leads to a Terrible End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something sinister is waiting for them as they realize that the organization behind the attacks is entwined with Star Fleet, which leads them to only one way to find the answer, break into an Admiral's office and steal information. Katharine is quick to jump to this solution, however, it isn't with the resistance of Soval. The Ambassador decides to join her to prevent any more harm, only what they find will result in even more danger than before. Thier task had been to get Enterprise to Dock, only to discover something far more alarming.
> 
> Amanda is working to distract the crowd and while it seems to be working she notes the timetables are turning and they may not have the upper hand much longer. She is correct, however, what this could cost them is far greater than anything she had ever encounters, as Kate collapses and Soval finds himself in dangerous waters with the MACCOS as well as Star Fleet and Vulcan.

## Chapter Eighteen: Misbehavior Always Leads to a Terrible End

The music echoed through the room, as did conversation. None of this soothed the tension in Amanda’s shoulders, she was far too preoccupied with watching the corners and for movements that spoke of hostility toward her charge. She could still see the sweeping motions of the dances Kate had shared between Gardner and Soval. If she had to compare the two, it was obvious that her interest in the Ambassador wasn’t strictly professional, at least to her. Soval had also proven to be quite the dancer,  something that she didn’t expect of a Vulcan, then again he had proven to be full of surprises. “T’Sai?” asked Suran, he had also been watching them the entire time. Amanda looked toward him, for the past few weeks they had been forging an escape plan, in case there was no other option. Without Kate knowing, Amanda had moved essentials to the Vulcan ship, the T’Mir which was appointed as the Ambassador’s personal transport, as well as working with Suran to ensure all her papers were in place to allow her on Vulcan. The work had been extensive, as she had planned for every possible scenario, even one in which Kate lived and Soval did not – under the suggestion of Suran.

Amanda sighed, as she looked over to the silver haired Vulcan, his gray eyes were searching and she could tell he was attempting to determine her mood. “You are apprehensive,” he mused, it was an understatement but all Amanda could do was a nod. She didn’t desire for everything to go wrong, in many ways she wanted to stay on Earth, but also knew that it wouldn’t always be a possibility with the current climate. “Suran, there is a lot in this right now, and so far our only allies are the Andorian Ambassador and Commander Shran, as well as Ambassador Kessil, we can’t even get a planet to back us,” she whispered. They had more allies than before, but now it was going to be difficult.

The Vulcan aid was about to comment when the voice of the one Admiral that annoyed her more than Gardner cut over them, “Major Cole,” he stated. She immediately turned to face him, she half expected him to berate her on the spot for no reason, only to see a concerning expression on his face. Immediately she replied, “Admiral,” he wouldn’t speak to her if something wasn’t urgent with that gleam in his eyes. “ _Enterprise_ can’t dock, Kate is on it. She instructed me to remind you of a certain Medical Exchange,” he stated. Kate was going to help Enterprise which meant she was the distraction, the only difference between both events was that the Exchange involved the two of them. She sighed, “As always she’s askin’ for the moon,” she muttered as she crossed her arms, “Admiral, all you had to do was ask,” she said with a wicked grin. The Admiral shook his head, “They have your track,” he stated as he walked away.

Suran arched a brow as Amanda slipped out of her wrap and handed it to him. “Suran, you’re going to hold that and hang out with the pianist,” she instructed. He was even more confused as he watched her slip a tube of brilliant red lipstick out of her bag and apply it. She painted her lips with grace and snatched a tissue before pressing her lips against it. “A provocative color,” stated Suran. Amanda smirked and winked playfully, “That’s the point dear,” she teased. She could feel his eyes on her as she mentally thanked herself for having the foresight to choose a dress that was a classic. “Yes, but what are you going to do?” he asked keenly as she looked up to the guys at the side of the stage, as always Gardner went all out and hired a pit of musicians. “Simple,  sing,” she replied as she walked across the room, the dance floor was empty after the mandatory dances, and those seated were enjoying dessert and conversation. It had been a little bit since Kate asked her to sing, then again, it was how she managed to distract, her experience with burlesque dancing had helped, however, she wasn’t about to strip for them. “You better watch your ass, Kate, I can’t do it for you,” she mumbled as she stood near the pianist and whispered in his ear.

Suran was on her heels as she approached the pit, seated at the piano was a young man with dark brown hair, he had hazel eyes and looked rather a board. At least she was going to make someone’s night, she hoped. “I do not think we are supposed to do this,” whispered Suran rapidly. Amanda chuckled a little, “Don’t worry, musicians never refuse beautiful creatures,” she remarked as she slipped around the barrier between the musicians and the floor. Immediately the pianist’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowed with irritation, he was the type that always took a little tactile encouragement. She slipped around the piano and leaned against her lid, it’s black lid was polished to the point she could see her reflection, a lovely lady decked for a party.

Suran was hovering behind her, she could feel his eyes on her form. “What can I do for you? You’re not supposed to be in here,” he snapped, his tone was clipped and harsh. In fact, he made the Vulcans run for their money in that department. Amanda began to slip around the piano and leaned on it once more, her eyes were on him as she smirked a little, “I was hoping to sing a song, one of the Admirals had asked me to,” she stated. He crossed his arms and tipped his head, “Which one?” as he arched a brow. Amanda hummed as she swept a finger over the piano teasingly, “Gardner.” Immediately he changed his tune and asked, “I wasn’t informed, sorry, which piece?” he asked.

She smiled over her shoulder to Suran and replied, “Let’s Misbehave.” The pianist mouth clearly went dry as she watched him sweep his tongue over his lips. “I-I can do that,” he stammered, she knew the implications and hummed. She swept away from the piano as she watched a microphone was set up, “Of course you can,” she replied as she leaned over him and whispered, “If you’re up to it.” He smelled of cheap aftershave but was relatively cute as she watched him swallow. He flushed and pulled at his collar, his hands quivered as he positioned them over the keys.

Amanda winked as she walked away only to pause before Suran, “Don’t worry, and just enjoy,” she stated as she stepped onto the floor. They had placed a microphone on the floor for her and she noticed the lights had been dimmed for her, she hummed as she took her place. A brilliant white spot light shinned upon her, and she realized in that moment that they were going all out. It really was a good thing she had the forethought to pack the red lipstick. There was a murmur of amusement through the room, it wasn’t planned but noticed how Schneider was saying it was his idea. Amanda suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.

She lowered her head and drew a breath as she listened to the sweet introduction by the pianist. His tempo was slow and tender, something sensual, and her lips curled. She opened her eyes, they were unseeing as she lifted her hands to rest them on the rest of the microphone.

_“We’re all alone, no chaperone,_

_Can get our number, the world in slumber,_

_Let’s misbehave.”_

Her voice carried through the room, a touch of smoke seemed to follow it. She had always enjoyed the slight rasp, it was deep and made the sound flow with ease. The pianist was quick to jump in as he carried the next part, his voice wasn’t as rich as hers, but not gruff as she had thought. Only when she glanced over did she notice it wasn’t the original pianist, it was a young commander. She was confused for a moment as she watched the young man nod, she had seen him hanging around the admirals but hadn’t thought on it.

_“There’s something wild about you child,_

_That’s so contagious, let’s be outrageous,_

_Let’s misbehave.”_

The young man smirked a little as he winked at Amanda, he was flirtatious and she could certainly work with that, as the young commander grew a little bolder tickling the ivories.

_“When Adam won Eve’s Hand,_

_He wouldn’t stand for Teasin’,_

_He didn’t care those apples out of season.”_

He sang boldly, his voice echoed in the room, and the brilliant base was deep and seemed sweet. Amanda hummed as she jumped into her versus, knowing the words far too well.

She smiled as she watched a second spot flicker to life to fall onto the piano, it rested above the young commander, he stood out from behind the piano with his pale skin that seemed to glow in the light. The pair continued, and Amanda felt a little relieved now it felt as though it had been planned, even if they were winging it. Then again, she wasn’t the one with the great voice, Kate, she could sing. Amanda smirked as she fluttered her eyes thinking back to the time she had first heard Kate sing, it was fare better than her own, but she didn’t mind doing this.

The room was still as she continued, her eyes flickered to the side to see if Suran was there, only to notice a lazy smile curl his lips. She was surprised to see such an emotion on the usually schooled features of the rather regal aid. It wasn’t too unusual to see him show a little more expression than Soval, but for him to smile in such a fashion wasn’t common. Suran looked relaxed, his shoulders dropped a little, his eyes not as eager and trained on her. The lines around his eyes were all but gone, and she smiled a little. It was odd, but somehow disarming a Vulcan made her feel a little more confident. She didn’t care about the guests leaning on the tables watching her with half-mast eyes, and lecherous gazes, she ignored the envious glares of the women, and scrutiny of others, it was Suran’s relaxed posture that brought a smile to her lips.

The light sound of trumpets echoed in the room, as well as several men singing the scat line. Amanda swayed to look at them and winked at the young men who were surrounding a microphone. The sound of a saxophone followed them as well as a chipper clarinet before they jumped back into the rest of the song, which seemed to fly by with grace.

Amanda and the young Commander joined one another in the end on the second to last verse, he voice a contrast against his as she continued. The flutter of her bright voice against his deep base made the piece sweet as southern tea, but potent as pipe tobacco.

_“You know my heart is true,_

_And you say, ‘For me care’,_

_Somebody’s sure to tell,_

_But what the heck do we care.”_

There was a chuckle in the room as she shrugged at the last line. Of course they would find it amusing, it was why she chose it. Amanda looked at Suran, her eyes meeting his gray orbs as she finished.

_“They say that Bears have love affairs,_

_And even camels, we’re men and mammals,_

_Let’s Misbehave,”_

Amanda smiled as she leaned into the microphone and open her eyes enjoying the moment as she listened to the young man play a neat Jazz chord and finished,

_“Let’s Misbehave.”_

Her mind wandered to Kate for a moment as she wondered how she was getting on. It had to be gutsy if she had to sing again. The next piece she would have to do was “Fever,” and that was a bit more sensual and usually involved a little stripping.

~~vOv~~

The roaring music of the party trickled to a whisper the further the party was behind them. The hallways were empty as she continued out of the entertaining area and into the offices. The cream colored walls glowed in the soft lights as their shoes clicked against the floor. Soval watched Katharine keenly, this was an enormous risk, hacking PRION was one thing, but hacking Starfleet could end her life. He wasn’t interested in that occurring, but if she didn’t get the Enterprise to dock, he feared there wouldn’t be anything left to protect. The prospect of everything falling apart was one he did not like, it was a failure and he had worked tirelessly to ensure Earth would have it’s chance to explore. They turned another corner, and immediately he recognized the route. They passed several portraits, his eyes on the walls, only to note something strange. Starfleet was watched with Security Strips, it was automated technology that appeared in blue bands near the molding of the ceiling and monitored audio, visual and a wide range of data that was required to identify suspects.

These Strips, were off. Not a single one was lit and this concerned him. Starfleet was one of the most secure buildings on the planet, and yet they didn’t have their strips on. The possibility of intruders slipping into the Gala was higher, and the probability of an attack had increased to a point that he was about to demand Kate escort himself and Suran away. Kate was outside of Admiral Gardner’s office as she slipped the keycard out, her eyes were on the lock as she swiped it through the receiver. He watched as the door’s locks lifted and they were admitted into the office of an Admiral. Maxwell had more security than Gardner, then again, he had always been one to make others fear him through his reputation alone.

With ease they were in the room, it had changed drastically since Max. Gone were the warm tones and woods, in was glass and steel, it felt distant and cold. His eyes swept over the office, it was far too utilitarian. Kate was before his monitor in a flash as her fingers flew over the keys, Gardner’s security was high, much more stringent than the rest of the building. Her brows furrowed as she continued breaking through several layers of firewalls, encryptions and an unusually well-placed notification beacon of intrusion. “Something’s wrong,” she stated a she finished hacking the third firewall. Soval was immediately looking over her shoulder, she could feel the heat radiating off of his chest against her back. His breath brushed the back of her neck as he asked, “What is it?” Kate shivered slightly, his eyes looked upon her with concern, he wasn’t sure if she was actually cold of if she was afraid. He was about to comment when he noticed the look in her eyes, and determined to mention it later.

“There’s too much security, he might be an admiral, but he has more security than a top level file for just his terminal,” she remarked as she slipped through the final barrier. She was met with the Collation Logo and a desktop, it was different from her father’s but not impossible to use. “He is hiding something,” stated Soval, the evidence was there enough to support the notion. Not even the Vulcan Consulate had that much security on an individual terminal, the entire mainframe was an entirely different category, but one terminal was suspicious. He had seen how quickly Katharine could hack into Starfleet, she had stolen an Ensign’s identity before and even managed to get into PRION, but this was taking her longer than even he thought possible.

 Her fingers flickered to the protocol log for the docking station, he noticed that there were several empty docks, but the Enterprise had been told there wasn’t space. The Admiral’s activities became even more suspicious, it had been his experience with other races that when an individual as powerful as Gardner lied, it meant his activities were illicit and threatening to more than one party. His eyes skimmed over the list of ships, only to realize the Enterprise was the only major vessel around Earth, the rest were either being built or were shuttles, his eyes widened with this knowledge. Vulcan never left herself vulnerable, there was always a series of ships hovering in orbit, a precaution and warning to others to avoid engaging in combat with them. Yet, Earth was defenseless. All that was in her orbit were the Ambassadorial vessels, communications satellites, a few shuttles, and the _Enterprise_.

As an Ambassador he did not have access to the Fleet’s information on their vessels, it was certainly concerning to see the had left themselves defenseless with the massive amount of tension in the Coalition, Andoria was threatening war with Vulcan, the Romulans were lurking, the Klingons were simply waiting for a chance to strike the humans and him could feel the tension between the Telleraties building as well. The entire thing was going to fall apart and if Earth wasn’t cautious enough they could end up the battle ground. “I’m granting the _Enterprise_ permission to dock,” she stated, bringing him back to their current task.

Immediately Soval pulled out his PADD and sent a message to T’Pol. He couldn’t send it to Archer, it would look odd, but with T’Pol, he could hide it as the fact that she was a Vulcan and former aid of his. “Done,” said Kate as she began to backtrack and looked at the time stamps, he quirked a brow as Katharine opened a black command window. “I’m just going to make sure it isn’t us who get’s caught, I need to change the timestamps and make it look like a mistake,” she explained as she wrote several lines of code to override the system and alter the stamps. He was silent as he watched her manipulate the information and begin wiping traces of her entering the program. “Major, could something similar be used on the Sensors?” he asked. Katharine’s fingers froze over the keys as she snapped her head up to look at him. He noticed realization lighting her clear blue eyes as she said, “It’s possible, I’d have to look at the Arrays to know for sure.”

He nodded while he wasn’t sure it was the answer, watching Kate manipulate systems to protect them had become something he was accustomed to. He wasn’t comfortable in the slightest with it but recognized she had little choice in the matter. She pulled out of the program and stared at the screen, “There’s something in here, Amanda can buy us a little more time,” she stated as she began to search through a few documents. Soval tensed, “Katharine, you don’t have time, we will be caught if you continue this,” he stated firmly. Amanda was only supposed to be a minor distraction so they could grant the Enterprise the ability to dock.

She glared at the screen as she continued, “I know, but something isn’t right, at all.” His ears perked up as he heard the sound of foot steps, they were out of time. “We have to leave, someone is coming,” he whispered urgently. Kate ignored him, “50 seconds,” she stated as she located a file, one that made Soval stare at the screen in disbelief. It was a fragment of something, a similar code to what they had been met with at every turn. Each time it was more and more advanced, yet this wasn’t complete, he could tell that much. “Whoa,” whispered Kate as she looked to Soval who was opening a data path. “Your instincts were correct, but now we must leave before we are compromised,” he stated as the file was moved to his PADD. Kate’s fingers were flying over the keys only for her to look to the door, she had heard the laugh that had emanated from the hallway. “Time’s up,” she whispered as she powered the monitor down, Soval looked around and noticed that there was only one way out, the laugh was far enough away where they could slip out.

Without hesitation, the pair was across the office and slipping out the door. He could hear Kate’s pulse skyrocket, she looked calm, but the roaring drumming of her heart said otherwise. The sound of footsteps grew louder as the swept through the hallway, in the opposite direction of the steps. They had to find an exit; unfortunately Soval wasn’t familiar with the floor plan. “We have to move, Gardner will have security flooding the hallways soon,” she stated, evidence of how paranoid the Admiral had become. The turns were easy for him to remember as she took them rapidly, passing the offices of several other Admirals, Kate’s fingers were still clutching the keycard, they had to get back to Gardner so she could hand it off.

“We can cut around and get back to the party, so I can slip the badge to him,” she stated as they hooked around another corner and began to head back toward the party. Soval nodded, he could still remember handing Archer and Commander Tucker the data matrix on the security around his home world, it was similar to this, only he hadn’t anticipated being pulled into a situation that was actually more dangerous. While Vulcan would have considered him a traitor if his plan had failed, he would only be exiled. This could get them killed, and while it had to be done, there was a primitive part of him that was afraid if they were captured that what ever was going on would soon reach boiling point and demolish everyone involved.

The music was louder and he heard a familiar voice singing, “She has skill,” he whispered softly, Amanda’s voice was nice, however, it wasn’t the best he had heard. Another shiver ran through Kate, this time his eyes narrowed, “Katharine, are you alright?” he asked with concern. The MACCO held her hand out and used the wall to catch herself, he respirator rate was high and he could see a flush on her cheeks that wasn’t the result of makeup. “Katharine?” he asked urgently as he watched the blonde close her eyes slowly.

“Soval,” she began only to lick her lips, an indication that her lips and mouth were dry. Immediately Soval began to categorize other symptoms, dry mouth, accelerated respiratory rate, elevated pulse, fever, and weakness, all were signs of a toxin in most humans. He wasn’t an expert but had read enough about poisons and toxins to know she had ingested one. The vehicle for such a thing he wasn’t certain of, the entire evening they had been cautious, not eating or drinking anything offered to them. He paused, drink, she had the water that the waiter had brought them. He watched another shiver wrack her body as she began to slip down the wall.

Instinctively he wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from crashing to the floor. He could feel the heat of her fever lick his skin, she was too hot for a human. Tentatively he brushed his fingers over her skin, he disliked doing such things as he had seen them as an invasion of privacy, however, he had to know if she was nauseous or he thoughts on the situation. His mind was greeted with a hum of confusion, dizziness, and irritation. He knew she was irritated with herself for making such a mistake, it wasn’t in her nature to do such a thing. She was attentive, “Katharine,” he whispered in an attempt to bring her back to the present.

“What?” she asked sluggishly, he could tell there was more to the question, yet it didn’t come. Her mind was slipping into a fog and he shifted her so he was holding her up. “You’ve been drugged,” he whispered quickly as he pressed her to his chest and was deciding if he should carry her. It would draw attention to them if he carried her, but he had no idea how to exit the building without being seen. “What’s going on here?” asked a gruff voice.

The Ambassador pivoted to see Admiral Gardner with the Chairman of PRION side by side looking at him in confusion and curiosity. “She is not feeling well, she had complained of a headache from the lights before,” he remarked. Gardner smiled a little, it was devious and made Soval’s skin crawl slightly as he schooled his features to be as impassive as possible. “That’s unfortunate, I had hoped she would enjoy herself, it’s been such a long time since she had attended an event,” he mused ruefully. Soval shifted her in his arms to support her weight without causing her discomfort. The expression on Gardner’s face was a clear indication that something was going on. “Yes, we will be returning to the consulate,” he replied as the Admiral nodded with mock solemnity. The man reeked of champagne and the aftershave he seemed insistent on wearing, despite the fact he knew many species had sensitive olifary sensory. Gardener’s gray eyes glimmered in the light as he replied, “Excellent, have Kate contact me, I want to make sure our MACCO is safe.” The use of the word our was not missed by the Ambassador, the overall tone of the statement was anything but supportive.

Now, he clearly understood why Kate hadn’t been near Starfleet in several weeks, they were treating her as an outsider. “That is reasonable,” he stated. Gardner looked over to the President of PRION, the pair were together, which made him believe that whatever they were up to, wasn’t going to end in a way that would be in their favor. “Good night Ambassador, I hope you enjoyed the party,” he stated as he began to walk by Soval. In that second he took the opportunity to slip the card back into the man’s pocket. The Admiral and President proceeded down the hallway, clueless to the fact that they had been in his office. That would not remain, and it was best to leave the building as soon as possible. Dark eyes fell on Kate, she was lapsing in and out of consciousness, “Katharine, stay awake,” he instructed as he pulled out his communicator.

He didn’t wait long for Suran to reply, “Katharine has ingested a toxin,” he stated swiftly. He could hear the Vulcan shifting, his aid was always quick to react. There was a murmur in the background, he could hear Amanda asking him a series of questions only to contact their flitter, “Meet us in the back Ambassador,” stated Amanda. Soval looked to Kate and replied, “Understood,” prior to hanging up. She was in danger, he would have to get her to the consulate and then seek the aid of Stron or Yuris. Neither of them had left yet to return to Vulcan, and at this moment they were the only two he could trust. He didn’t even trust his personal healer to handle her, she had a better relationship with Yuris, after all he had taken care of her burns, and he wanted someone familiar to be present as opposed to a stranger. Humans did not do well waking up with strangers looming above them, and with Kate’s past from what he had learned from one of her nightmares, that could trigger something far worse. Without further delay, he swept her into his arms and began to carry her out of the building.

It was fortuitous that he had been inside this section of Starfleet a number of times while working with Maxwell to know the layout of the building so intimately. It is true that Vulcan’s have edict memory, but it is impossible to use if they never actually learned the layout. The backdoors drew nearer, he was about to walk through them when they swung open. Abiding by instinct he slipped into a defensive position only to notice Commander Shran standing in the doorway. “Soval, you better move it,” growled the commander, his impatience ringing in Soval’s ears and for once he could not find it in himself to argue with the abrasive Andorian.

The Ambassador slipped out of the doors and was greeted by a gust of cold wind, it sent a shiver through him, now he understood the Terran saying, “Something wicked this way comes.” It was an odd one that he heard Max mumble on occasion whenever he had a feeling of foreboding settled within him. The flitter was waiting for them, Ambassador Krim had clearly decided to leave with his own transport. Shran shuffled in behind him as Soval looked at Kate once more, her eyes were cloudy, and effect of the drug that was in her system. “Go,” he commanded as he began to place Kate on the seat of the flitter, only for her to rouse completely. “Soval?” she asked, there was silence in the flitter, he could feel their eyes on them. It wasn’t a usual thing for her to use his first name, then again, he was certain the drugs were also the source behind this.

He slowly assisted her in sitting up, “How do you feel?” he asked. She blinked twice, before responding, “It’s too hot in here,” he watched her tongue run over her lips once more. The scent of something sweet wrapped around him, it was then he realized why the other Vulcan and Andorian were stiff, pheromones. Humans had very few, but those species that were sensitive could always note when a human was seeking a mate. Yet, she didn’t smell that way before, the fever under her skin seemed to grow as the pieces fell together. He was pulled from his musings when a far too hot form leaned against his own. He could remember his own desires to hold her in the arctic, to be the one to comfort her, to protect her, and battle her demons.

“Major?” he asked as he looked over to see a pair of blue eyes staring at him, they were the color of the terran sky, a color he had come to associate with this watery world and all its possibilities. Her cheeks were flushed, as he noticed a bead of sweat slip down the side of her face, “Not Major, Kate,” she stated firmly, “I think we are passed the Major part.” Soval’s eyebrows shot up in confusion, he did not see how they were, she may not have been able to escape being harmed, however, she had done her job admirably. He was about to question her, only to note she was slowly sitting up and leaning toward one of his ears.

Humans had the habit of whispering when they didn’t want others to hear, he disliked it but was well aware that toxins did many things to different species. “You woke me up, and saw it, you feel it,” she stated. He was going to correct her when he felt something warm, soft and slightly damp slip over the shell of his ear. His eyes closed as he shivered with pleasure, she had found one of their most sensitive areas, their ears. “I remember the Vulcan kiss, I liked it,” she whispered before nipping the tip of his ear. His lips parted as a moan tumbled from him, his tightly strung control was going to snap if she continued. He could feel his Katra stirring within him, just as it had when he had watched her follow a line of logic to discover the signals were the same, or when she had fired the sniper. “Kate,” he hissed as he felt her fingers slip over his, they traced patterns into the palm of his hand and he stiffened.

“Cease,” he hissed as his eyes snapped open and he grabbed her wrist. She was going to embarrass herself, it wasn’t his reputation he was concerned with. He gently squeezed it as he placed it on her lap. “Soval, I’ve seen these symptoms before,” stated the gruff voice of the Andorian. Soval’s dark eyes fell on the man, his gaze held enough of a question, Shran appeared deeply concerned at that moment as well as slightly amused. “The Orion Syndicate,” he stated. The Vulcan Ambassador stiffened, there were hundreds of compounds used by the Orions, all of which were illicit on Vulcan after several unintentional triggers of Pon Far. “Which one?” asked Soval with irritation as he felt Kate cuddle into his side.

Commander Shran looked uncomfortable as he replied, “If it’s the one I think, she’s going to need the antidote or someone to mate with, it’s the only way to get it out of her system.” That did little to inform him of the particular compound, there were several strains that were considered so deadly that not even slave traders used them, only those who were truly desperate would resort to them, as they caused internal damage on an alarming scale. Amanda growled, causing Soval to turn to her, “No, I don’t give a shit what she’s been dosed with getting the antidote, don’t subject her to that,” she snapped. Soval was silent as he looked at her, “I am not suggesting that we do so, however, it is something that we may have to consider if we are unable to get the antidote,” Soval responded.

Amanda clenched her fists, her dark brown eyes held a lethal fire as she spat, “If you attempt it, I will not hesitate to kill you, she’s been hurt enough.” A warning, Suran was about to jump to his aid when he held up his hand to stop the man, “I can not harm her,” he stated with conviction, “I know she is fragile, I will not allow any more harm to befall her.” His own blood boiled at the notion that he would harm the already delicate young woman he had come to know. She appeared strong, as strong as the finest steels, but even they had their limits, their flaws, and he knew just enough pressure would break her. His gaze narrowed as she crossed her arms, challenging him as though it were a battle she could win. “Really? Where you there? Did you come to help her pick up the pieces? Did you try to put her life back together?” she snarled. Soval was silent as he watched her hands whip around about her, “Even after her father died, you went back to Vulcan, leaving her alone. Don’t you dare claim you care about her, you’re just like the rest!” her voice carried in the cabin violently, he could feel her anger radiate off of her in waves.

Soval watched Amanda’s face turn brilliant red with anger, “You only help when it’s convenient.” The Ambassador felt Kate sag further into him she let out a sigh of content as he shifted his arm to allow her more space to do so. “You are incorrect Major,” Suran began his tone was slightly elevated, as it always was when it came time to defeat him. Soval shook his head and said, “Enough,” as his gaze fell on Katharine, who had lost consciousness during the flight. He wasn’t about to allow that, he had enough, as he looked toward the pilot, they were just outside of the Embassy and he noticed Yuris waiting dressed in a white robe, apparently he had been notified. A silence stretched between them as the flitter stopped, it was a flurry of white robes as Yuris had Kate put on a gurney. “Symptoms,” he commanded, his tone was sharp and Soval noticed he seemed slightly upset.

Soval rattled them off as they sprinted down the hallway, she didn’t have time, and if it was an Orion drug, the probability of internal damage being done was higher. Orinons weren’t known for creating safe aphrodisiacs, there was a reason they were part of the slave trade. Yuris ran a scanner over her and began to run several diagnostics simultaneous, “Her temperature is too high, we need the cooling pads,” he commanded. Soval stood back as he watched them run to and fro; the women were carrying several stacks of the pads. It was an unusual addition, however, they had invested in them after noticing how Katharine often got injured, and needed them to assist in reducing the swelling. “Get her out of the dress,” commanded Yuris, he watched as the dress was cut away, the garment that had been the talk of the admirals and ladies was in pieces on the floor. Laying on the bed in only her black lace undergarments was a flushed and scared Katharine. He had only seen the scars once, they were gruesome, and her nightmares had been more than enough to tell how they had been earned.

The healer’s hands hesitated as his eyes fell on the most gruesome of them, at that moment he knew that Yuris had never seen them. He watched a look of sadness flicker in his eyes, before the healer set to work. “Her body temperature is still too high,” he stated in desperation. They had to bring it down, and they couldn’t, “As is her respiration rate,” he stated as his hands swept over the cooling pads. Another healer sprinted over as he stated, “Her hormones are too elevated, we need to counteract them, I have T’Vok searching for the toxin.” Toxicology regardless of the time was slow and with the Orion’s so many compounds were similar that even using the databases to identify the right one was difficult.

Soval stared as the monitors began to ring out, her heart rate was far too elevated, if it persisted she would crash. The Ambassador’s mind slipped into over drive, he was supposed to protect her, he had promised Maxwell as well as the girl on the cot that he would. He was failing, he couldn’t afford to, he craved to protect her, to make her happy. He had seen her stare at the painted sky in wonder, laugh at a child, the way she could care for him, she had listened to him speak of his wife, and even stood up for him. He was intrigued by her strength and courage, which seemed to contradict the past he had seen a glimpse of. He wanted desperately to chase her demons away. White robes flew past her as they frantically began thinking of ways to bring her temperature down.

He could remember her in the gardens, how she would look out the windows, he had never walked trough them with her. He couldn’t bring himself to he was concerned it would cross a line. Yet, he had invited her to the gala, not as protection – he had invited her because he wanted to dance with her. Soval internally chastised himself, he wasn’t supposed to have these desires for his guard, yet he wanted to make her happy. Seeing her happy somehow pleased him.

The Ambassador paused, the gardens, they had ponds. It was cold and the water would be 55 degrees, cold enough to bring her temperature down. In seconds he was across the room and sweeping her into his arms, cooling pads and blankets included. “OSU!” shouted Yuris as Soval sprinted out of the room. He ignored the unusual looked he received as he left the walls of the consulate, and the constant shouting from the medical staff, it wasn’t normal for him to do something impulsive, however explaining it wasn’t enough. He had to act. Her skin felt like fire against his own, it reminded him of the searing green fires of pon farr that haunted him.

Soval shoved that thought to the back of his mind as he placed her on the grass. Yuris had skidded to a stop next to him only to notice the pond. “Get towels!” commanded Yuris as Soval began unfastening the clasps of his outer robe, “And a warming blanket!” he added with haste as he held Katharine up so she wasn’t laying flat on the ground. The Ambassador allowed his robes to fall carelessly as he slipped his tunic over his head. The cold air sliced across his skin, jolting him into awareness. He knew this wasn’t the best idea being a Vulcan, but Katharine would drown in the pond alone. After slipping off his shoes, he stepped into the pond, oddly grateful that the gardener had decided to add it after seeing the gardens of Japan.

The water of the pond chilled him instantly, causing him to hiss, “Osu,” Yuris said with concern. Soval continued until he was up to his waist in the cold water. It felt as though knives were flaying his skin, but he also knew he would acclimate, slowly, but it would work. He held his arms out, “Hand her to me, Yuris,” he said gently. The doctor nodded in affirmation as he gently placed an unconscious Katharine in his arms. With care, he lowered her into the water, making sure her head was kept above it at all times. His arms instinctively wrapped around her middle as he held her to his chest. Her feverish skin was soft  and supple under his hands. He could feel her heat thundering in her ears, and the expansion of her chest. “It’s alright, Kate,” he whispered.

~~vOv~~

Amanda was seething; she hadn’t anticipated something like this occurring. They had prepared for the worst, and now she was standing with Suran, and her friend had been drugged with something even the Andorians were afraid of. Kate had been through enough and now the Ambassador was speaking of the possibility of having to harm her to save her. Amanda grit her teeth, she despised seeing Kate vulnerable, she wasn’t supposed to be in that position ever again. The image of Soval carrying her prone form in his arms was painful and reminded her too much of that night in the bathroom. “T’Sai, the Ambassador will do all that is in his power to save her,” Suran remarked as he stood beside Amanda, his posture was slightly relaxed, and his robes were still pristine. Amanda whipped around, her hair flying about as she did so, the hair sticks had long since been removed.

“He didn’t the first time,” she hissed, “Where was she when she needed him? Where was he when she was sick with pneumonia because she had been left in a cold house without heat?” she stated. Her gaze was on Soval, it narrowed as she drew closer to him, “Where was he after she had been raped and beaten?” Suran’s eyes went wide and Amanda froze, she had said something she shouldn’t have, instantly she regretted it. She reeled backward, she swore she would never utter a word of that night. She had asked a friend of hers who was a judge to seal Kate’s records, for the sake of Admiral Forrest’s memory. That night was the worst of her life, she could remember waiting outside the OR, just for a whisper of Kate’s status.

Suran was stock still, his eyes narrowed as utter confusion contorted his usually serene features, his silver hair fell above his brow as his tempest colored eyes settled on her. “Kate was?” he began, only for the rest of the question to become lost, it was then she realized that Suran cared much more than she knew. Amanda nodded as she slowly relaxed, the tension leaving her slightly as she drew another breath. “Yes, she was, and I found her that way. You should see the scars, they… she doesn’t even,” Amanda felt tears begin to sting her eyes, she couldn’t break down, Kate needed her, so did Suran and the others. “Kate doesn’t think she’s worth anyone’s love,” whispered Amanda brokenly, “She doesn’t think she’s pretty enough to be loved, or that anyone would want someone who was broken.” She could feel his gaze and that of others who had stopped to listen. “She was raped by a man she thought loved her,” said Amanda softly. She listened to the steps of Vulcans around her stop and the room fall silent.

She looked at Suran and noticed anger flash across his features, “Where is this person? Was he prosecuted?” he asked darkly. Amanda froze, she had never seen a Vulcan use a tone that would indicate violence, they always shied from it. “No, he’s dead,” she stated softly, suddenly the floor seemed so much more interesting, “Kate shot him.” Nothing moved, it was as though the universe had stopped, and she knew it wasn’t possible to go back. She was under their scrutiny, and she had already revealed more than she should have. “Pink skin?” asked the deep voice of Commander Shran, he had been listening, she knew he had.

Amanda steeled herself as she finally looked up, there were several Vulcans around her, faces she had seen in passing, as well as T’Vok and Kruss, each of them looking angry and mortified by the secrets that she had sworn to keep for Katharine. Yet, part of her, a small part, hoped that by telling them she could help heal the wounds that were nearly a decade old. “Kate was in the hospital for two weeks, intensive care for a majority of the time. When I brought her in, she was nearly dead and it was touch and go for a while,” Amanda began as she remembered sitting in the plastic chairs, waiting, waiting to hear of her friend, waiting to see if she too would survive the night. Amanda wrapped her arms around herself as if to protect herself from the rest of the world. “After she got out, she had nightmares, they were so bad that she got kicked out of her apartment for the screaming and ended up going to her old house,” she explained, “After she got sick I moved in with her, but the nightmares didn’t seem to end, each one of them giving her more pieces of the puzzle she had attempted to block from the rest of herself. Slowly, they subsided, but eight months late she started getting odd gifts.”

There was a look exchanged between Suran and T’Vok, “They were of varying price but each time with a note, that was horrible and Kate never kept them. It got worse, the gifts showed up at the academy, and she was being trailed. Campus security told us we were exaggerating, and the Admirals ignored her like everyone did. She wasn’t important, her father was, she was just another orphan created by them,” she snarked, “Then the gifts stopped, we had thought he gave up until we saw him in the apartment, he was going to rape us both. He was holding a gun, and we both reacted out of instinct.” Amanda shivered as she wrapped her arms around herself, she could remember his stench, and how he had pinned her to the floor. “I froze, he had me pinned, and I couldn’t seem to move,” she whispered with shame, Kate knew, but she had never told a soul.

The brunette closed her eyes, her brow was furrowed as she said, “Then, somehow, Kate had gotten the gun. She shot him in the head. It was a single shot.” Amanda could never remember the events after that moment, all she knew was that the shot had been fired and the man who had abused Kate was gone. “He was a professor,” she whispered in the end. A pair of warm fingers tilted her chin up, they were gentle in nature, as she felt a soothing warmth caress her existence. “Osu will not harm her, she is too important to him,” Suran explained, his silver hair contrasted greatly against his skin, and tempest colored eyes boring into her. His words rang in her ears, as though they would soothe her temper to the point it was a dull rumble.

She drew a breath as he asked, “This attack, does she have nightmares?” Amanda nodded immediately, she could remember the blood-curdling screams from her. There had been many nights where Kate would bolt upright, covered in a sheen of sweat and eyes unseeing. She could still remember the bruises she sported after attempting to rouse her, only to find herself being strangled by her. “Yeah, violent ones, why?” she asked. Suran’s brows furrowed with concern as he replied, “Osu had roused Katharine two nights ago, and they were fighting, I heard it from upstairs,” he paused for a moment and Amanda stared at the Vulcan. Suran wasn’t the type to meddle, he hadn’t said anything that wasn’t within the realm of professionalism until that moment.  “When I had gotten up the stairs after rousing you, she was in his embrace. It was the first time I have seen him in a state of comfort since his wife,” he said softly, “He was at peace. He hasn’t had that in nearly two decades.”

Her eyes widened, to imagine the Ambassador at peace with her best friend in his arms, “Was she alright?” she asked keenly. Suran’s shoulders fell slightly as his air warmed, “Yes, she was the one who had initiated it,” he replied. Kate had willingly touched a man, that was something she hadn’t done in a very long time. In fact, she hadn’t since the attack on her by Malik. “She, she initiated it?” she asked slowly. The idea that she had didn’t seem to hit home until that moment. She wrapped her arms around herself and began to walk inside, “He just better not hurt her,” she whispered. Amanda continued to walk through the entryway and headed in the direction of the security office. Kate was in the hands of the doctors, there wasn’t much for her to do except get her hands on the security footage and find out just who had been responsible for poisoning her.

If she could get the footage and use facial recognition software they would be closer to discovering who they were up against. All she could do was pray that she wasn’t caught, if they caught her hacking, she could be tried for treason. Then again, if Star Fleet was supporting the events which had transpired over the past three months, she didn’t want to be part of it.

~~vOv~~

The feeling of cold against her burning core caused Katharine to jolt awake. Her eyes flew open and she began to panic as she felt something wet caress her skin. She struggled only to feel something holding her in place. “Kate, relax, you are safe,” said a steady voice above her head. The fog was vanishing slowly, pulling its self away from her and returning to the sea. “You are safe now,” the voice reiterated, chasing away the fear that had settled inside her. Slowly she looked up to see a pair of deep brown eyes staring down at her, they were filled with relief and affection, it was the same expression he had worn the night he had roused her from her nightmare. His hair was slightly damp and the moonlight made it appear even brighter in shade. “Katharine,” he said softly as he held her close. Warmth and affection flooded her system, his powerful chest was against her back as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her securely. The scent of sandalwood, spices and him seemed to ease her mind as she hummed contently. The fires were slowly dying as she felt the cool water put them out.

A warm hand slipped over her head and settled on her forehead, a soft whisper echoed in her mind, “She is cooling,” he stated to someone else. Hesitantly Kate looked toward the edge to see the familiar face of Yuris kneeling beside the pool, with a stack of blankets and towels beside him. “What happened?” asked, her mind was a blur as she allowed herself to rest against Soval’s steady form. It was odd, he was allowing her to touch his skin, she knew all too well the Vulcans never allowed the touching of skin, especially after the kiss they had shared. Once again his arms were protecting her from the world, as they had several times before, including in the Yukon. She hummed as she felt him absently stroke her hair, it was a tender feeling. She closed her eyes tiredly as he spoke, “Katharine, how do you feel?” his voice rumbled in his chest. She tilted her head to the side, she could feel the skin of his shoulder against the back of her head as she replied, “Better, hazy but better.” Something warm curled in her stomach, and she licked her lips.

Soval hummed as he adjusted his hold on her, “Good, let’s get you out of this cold water,” he said simply as he swept his arm under her legs and lifted her with grace. It was then she realized he was naked, a blush swept over her, she was naked before the Ambassador. A doctor didn’t bother her, but Soval, he was different. She was attracted to him, even if she didn’t want to admit it. At first she didn’t want to admit it, he was stubborn, stern and always seemed to look down upon her. Yet, as time passed and she slowly kept her watch of him, he transformed from the stuffy and unyielding Ambassador to a man that she had come to like, and perhaps even love. Kate stiffened a little, love, that word had always come with pain and foreboding, yet, now she craved it. He had looked upon her with affection several times, she could remember his voice coaxing her to consciousness, his large hands chasing the demons away, his scent lulling her to sleep and the very way his fingers made hers tingle when they touched, it was as though he had awakened a part of her she had forgotten.

The Ambassador held her securely to him as he allowed Yuris to drape a series of towels over them and a group of heating blankets. Yuris was silent, and somehow she could note how pleased he was at this chain of events. Kate felt the muscles under his skin shift as he continued to carry her through the building, toward his privet residence. The quiet that stretched between them wasn’t awkward, but calm, as though several issues were put to rest. That every struggle had been resolved, despite the storm that was brewing outside their doors, as long as she was with him. As long as he was beside her, she could face the world, no she could face the universe. Kate smiled at that notion, as she snuggled into his chest. She had no idea if he would stand beside her in that way if he even felt the same about her, but if not, she was willing to keep silent. She would remain silent as she watched over him, protecting him like a guardian angel the entire time, a broken heart healed, but watching him die would kill her.

Kate felt tears build, her emotions were ripping through her, and she had a feeling it was the result of the drugs, but at the same time she wondered if it was her rational mind telling her how impossible it was.

They turned the corner and stood outside the privet residence only for him to pause and look down at her, Yuris had been trailing them but stopped several meters away. “Katharine,” he said softly, the way his tongue caressed her name was enough to spark her affection for him. Sky blue eyes lifted to fall upon his intense gaze, it was searching as though he sought the key to the universe. “Are you alright?” he asked, she nodded. In truth, she wasn’t but if she told him it would all change, and she didn’t want to lose him. She had risked it when he had seen her nightmare, and not she could lose him permanently after the blunder she had made at the gala. Soval continued to walk through the residence, his feet were soft against the floors as he did so. She waited patently to be placed in her bed, only for him to walk past his door, “Yuris, you may leave I will tend to her,” instructed the Ambassador. Kate glanced over her shoulder to watch Yuris nod before leaving, he had been dismissed and now Kate as nervous.

Her attention was on the door before them, it was the door to his room. The once place she had never dared entering, his sanctuary. The door opened with ease, the lights never came to life as he crossed the room, she knew he had superior eyesight but didn’t realize just how good it was until then. The room smelt of desert spices, his incense and him, while most would have run, she didn’t. “Ambassador?” she asked curiously as she felt herself being placed on his large bed, it was larger than it had to be for a single person. Kate was confused as he walked over to his closet and pulled out a sleeping robe. The man was silent as he stood before her, the robe was open and Kate knew what to do. She spread her arms slowly, she had been undressed before, but this was an experience all its own. His touch was tender, as he draped it over her, the fabric whispering against her skin. It was far too large for her, but she didn’t care, it fit her in an odd way.

His fingers swept purposefully over her exposed skin, leaving goose bumps in their wake. Her eyes followed his actions inquisitively, never before had he made such an intimate move toward her. 


	18. Misbehavior Always Leads to a Terrible End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archer has been reading through the journal only to find himself staring at a series of events that have gone on longer than even the Admiral had been aware as well as a number of secrets that only seem to add more questions than answers. All the while after the beautiful Christmas with Kuvak, the Vulcan has stayed on Earth to oversee the events to come, only for Gardner to make his move. Soval and Kate are suddenly delt a hand that they may not be able to work with. Ashan has left Stark in search of a new possibility only to learn that what she thought she knew, she didn't, and that there was more than one person seeking the same results she does.

###  Chapter Eighteen: **Misbehavior Always Leads to a Terrible End**

The music echoed through the room, as did conversation. None of this soothed the tension in Amanda’s shoulders, she was far too preoccupied with watching the corners and for movements that spoke of hostility toward her charge. She could still see the sweeping motions of the dances Kate had shared between Gardner and Soval. If she had to compare the two, it was obvious that her interest in the Ambassador wasn’t strictly professional, at least to her. Soval had also proven to be quite the dancer,  something that she didn’t expect of a Vulcan, then again he had proven to be full of surprises. “T’Sai?” asked Suran, he had also been watching them the entire time. Amanda looked at him, for the past few weeks they had been forging an escape plan, in case there was no other option. Without Kate knowing, Amanda had moved essentials to the Vulcan ship, the T’Mir which was appointed as the Ambassador’s personal transport, as well as working with Suran to ensure all her papers were in place to allow her on Vulcan. The work had been extensive, as she had planned for every possible scenario, even one in which Kate lived and Soval did not – under the suggestion of Suran.

Amanda sighed, as she looked over to the silver haired Vulcan, his gray eyes were searching and she could tell he was attempting to determine her mood. “You are apprehensive,” he mused, it was an understatement but all Amanda could do was nod. She didn’t desire for everything to go wrong, in many ways she wanted to stay on Earth, but also knew that it wouldn’t always be a possibility with the current climate. “Suran, there is a lot in this right now, and so far our only allies are the Andorian Ambassador and Commander Shran, as well as Ambassador Kessil, we can’t even get a planet to back us,” she whispered. They had more allies than before, but now it was going to be difficult.

The Vulcan aid was about to comment when the voice of the one Admiral that annoyed her more than Gardner cut over them, “Major Cole,” he stated. She immediately turned to face him, she half expected him to berate her on the spot for no reason, only to see a concerning expression on his face. Immediately she replied, “Admiral,” he wouldn’t speak to her if something wasn’t urgent with that gleam in his eyes. “ _Enterprise_ can’t dock, Kate is on it. She instructed me to remind you of a certain Medical Exchange,” he stated. Kate was going to help Enterprise which meant she was the distraction, the only difference between both events was that the Exchange involved the two of them. She sighed, “As always she’s askin’ for the moon,” she muttered as she crossed her arms, “Admiral, all you had to do was ask,” she said with a wicked grin. The Admiral shook his head, “They have your track,” he stated as he walked away.

Suran arched a brow as Amanda slipped out of her wrap and handed it to him. “Suran, you’re going to hold that and hang out with the pianist,” she instructed. He was even more confused as he watched her slip a tube of brilliant red lipstick out of her bag and apply it. She painted her lips with grace and snactched a tissue before pressing her lips against it. “A provocative color,” stated Suran. Aamanda smirked and winked playfully, “That’s the point dear,” she teased. She could feel his eyes on her as she mentally thanked herself for having the foresight to choose a dress that was a classic. “Yes, but what are you going to do?” he asked keenly as she looked up to the guys at the side of the stage, as always Gardner went all out and hired a pit of musicians. “Simple,  sing,” she replied as she walked across the room, the dance floor was empty after the mandatory dances, and those seated were enjoying dessert and conversation. It had been a little bit since Kate asked her to sing, then again, it was how she managed to distract, her experience with burlesque dancing had helped, however she wasn’t about to strip for them. “You better watch your ass Kate, I can’t do it for you,” she mumbled as she stood near the pianist and whispered in his ear.

Suran was on her heels as she approached the pit, seated at the piano was a young man with dark brown hair, he had hazel eyes and looked rather board. At least she was going to make someone’s night, she hoped. “I do not think we are supposed to do this,” whispered Suran rapidly. Amanda chuckled a little, “Don’t worry, musicians never refuse beautiful creatures,” she remarked as she slipped around the barrier between the musicians and the floor. Immediately the pianist’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowed with irritation, he was the type that always took a little tactile encouragement. She slipped around the piano and leaned against her lid, it’s black lid was polished to the point she could see her reflection, a lovely lady decked for a party.

Suran was hovering behind her, she could feel his eyes on her form. “What can I do for you? You’re not supposed to be in here,” he snapped, his tone was clipped and harsh. In fact, he made the Vulcans run for their money in that department. Amanda began to slip around the piano and leaned on it once more, her eyes were on him as she smirked a little, “I was hoping to sing a song, one of the Admirals had asked me to,” she stated. He crossed his arms and tipped his head, “Which one?” as he arched a brow. Amanda hummed as she swept a finger over the piano teasingly, “Gardner.” Immediately he changed his tune and asked, “I wasn’t informed, sorry, which piece?” he asked.

She smiled over her shoulder to Suran and replied, “Let’s Misbehave.” The pianist mouth clearly went dry as she watched him sweep his tongue over his lips. “I-I can do that,” he stammered, she knew the implications and hummed. She swept away from the piano as she watched a microphone was set up, “Of course you can,” she replied as she leaned over him and whispered, “If you’re up to it.” He smelled of cheap aftershave, but was relatively cute as she watched him swallow. He flushed and pulled at his collar, his hands quivered as he positioned them over the keys.

Amanda winked as she walked away only to pause before Suran, “Don’t worry, and just enjoy,” she stated as she stepped onto the floor. They had placed a microphone on the floor for her and she noticed the lights had been dimmed for her, she hummed as she took her place. A brilliant white spot light shinned upon her, and she realized in that moment that they were going all out. It really was a good thing she had the forethought to pack the red lipstick. There was a murmur of amusement through the room, it wasn’t planned but noticed how Schneider was saying it was his idea. Amanda suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.

She lowered her head and drew a breath as she listened to the sweet introduction by the pianist. His tempo was slow and tender, something sensual, and her lips curled. She opened her eyes, they were unseeing as she lifted her hands to rest them on the rest of the microphone.

_“We’re all alone, no chaperone,_

_Can get our number, the world in slumber,_

_Let’s misbehave.”_

Her voice carried through the room, a touch of smoke seemed to follow it. She had always enjoyed the slight rasp, it was deep and made the sound flow with ease. The pianist was quick to jump in as he carried the next part, his voice wasn’t as rich as hers, but not gruff as she had thought. Only when she glanced over did she notice it wasn’t the original pianist, it was a young commander. She was confused for a moment as she watched the young man nod, she had seen him hanging around the admirals but hadn’t thought about it.

_“There’s something wild about you child,_

_That’s so contagious, let’s be outrageous,_

_Let’s misbehave.”_

The young man smirked a little as he winked at Amanda, he was flirtatious and she could certainly work with that, as the young commander grew a little bolder tickling the ivories.

_“When Adam won Eve’s Hand,_

_He wouldn’t stand for Teasin’,_

_He didn’t care those apples out of season.”_

He sang boldly, his voice echoed in the room, and the brilliant base was deep and seemed sweet. Amanda hummed as she jumped into her versus, knowing the words far too well.

She smiled as she watched a second spot flicker to life to fall onto the piano, it rested above the young commander, he stood out from behind the piano with his pale skin that seemed to glow in the light. The pair continued, and Amanda felt a little relieved now it felt as though it had been planned, even if they were winging it. Then again, she wasn’t the one with the great voice, Kate, she could sing. Amanda smirked as she fluttered her eyes thinking back to the time she had first heard Kate sing, it was fare better than her own, but she didn’t mind doing this.

The room was still as she continued, her eyes flickered to the side to see if Suran was there, only to notice a lazy smile curl his lips. She was surprised to see such an emotion on the usually schooled features of the rather regal aid. It wasn’t too unusual to see him show a little more expression than Soval, but for him to smile in such a fashion wasn’t common. Suran looked relaxed, his shoulders dropped a little, his eyes not as eager and trained on her. The lines around his eyes were all but gone, and she smiled a little. It was odd, but somehow disarming a Vulcan made her feel a little more confident. She didn’t care about the guests leaning on the tables watching her with half mast eyes, and lecherous gazes, she ignored the envious glares of the women, and scrutiny of others, it was Suran’s relaxed posture that brought a smile to her lips.

The light sound of trumpets echoed in the room, as well as several men singing the scat line. Amanda swayed to look at them and winked at the young men who were surrounding a microphone. The sound of a saxophone followed them as well as a chipper clarinet before they jumped back into the rest of the song, which seemed to fly by with grace.

Amanda and the young Commander joined one another in the end on the second to last verse, he voice a contrast against his as she continued. The flutter of her bright voice against his deep base made the piece sweet as southern tea, but potent as pipe tobacco.

_“You know my heart is true,_

_And you say, ‘For me care’,_

_Somebody’s sure to tell,_

_But what the heck do we care.”_

There was a chuckle in the room as she shrugged at the last line. Of course, they would find it amusing, it was why she chose it. Amanda looked at Suran, her eyes meeting his gray orbs as she finished.

_“They say that Bears have love affairs,_

_And even camels, we’re men and mammals,_

_Let’s Misbehave,”_

Amanda smiled as she leaned into the microphone and open her eyes enjoying the moment as she listened to the young man play a neat Jazz chord and finished,

_“Let’s Misbehave.”_

Her mind wandered to Kate for a moment as she wondered how she was getting on. It had to be gutsy if she had to sing again. The next piece she would have to do was “Fever,” and that was a bit more sensual and usually involved a little stripping.

~~vOv~~

The roaring music of the party trickled to a whisper the further the party was behind them. The hallways were empty as she continued out of the entertaining area and into the offices. The cream colored walls glowed in the soft lights as their shoes clicked against the floor. Soval watched Katharine keenly, this was an enormous risk, hacking PRION was one thing, but hacking Starfleet could end her life. He wasn’t interested in that occurring, but if she didn’t get the Enterprise to dock, he feared there wouldn’t be anything left to protect. The prospect of everything falling apart was one he did not like, it was a failure and he had worked tirelessly to ensure Earth would have it’s chance to explore. They turned another corner, and immediately he recognized the route. They passed several portraits, his eyes on the walls, only to note something strange. Starfleet was watched with Security Strips, it was automated technology that appeared in blue bands near the molding of the ceiling and monitored audio, visual and a wide range of data that was required to identify suspects.

These Strips were off. Not a single one was lit and this concerned him. Starfleet was one of the most secure buildings on the planet, and yet they didn’t have their strips on. The possibility of intruders slipping into the Gala was higher, and the probability of an attack had increased to a point that he was about to demand Kate escort himself and Suran away. Kate was outside of Admiral Gardner’s office as she slipped the keycard out, her eyes were on the lock as she swiped it through the receiver. He watched as the door’s locks lifted and they were admitted into the office of an Admiral. Maxwell had more security than Gardner, then again, he had always been one to make others fear him through his reputation alone.

With ease they were in the room, it had changed drastically since Max. Gone were the warm tones and woods, in was glass and steel, it felt distant and cold. His eyes swept over the office, it was far too utilitarian. Kate was before his monitor in a flash as her fingers flew over the keys, Gardner’s security was high, much more stringent than the rest of the building. Her brows furrowed as she continued breaking through several layers of firewalls, encryptions and an unusually well placed notification beacon of intrusion. “Something’s wrong,” she stated a she finished hacking the third firewall. Soval was immediately looking over her shoulder, she could feel the heat radiating off of his chest against her back. His breath brushed the back of her neck as he asked, “What is it?” Kate shivered slightly, his eyes looked at her with concern, he wasn’t sure if she was actually cold of if she was afraid. He was about to comment when he noticed the look in her eyes, and determined to mention it later.

“There’s too much security, he might be an admiral, but he has more security than a top level file for just his terminal,” she remarked as she slipped through the final barrier. She was met with the Collation Logo and a desktop, it was different from her father’s but not impossible to use. “He is hiding something,” stated Soval, the evidence was there enough to support the notion. Not even the Vulcan Consulate had that much security on an individual terminal, the entire mainframe was an entirely different category, but one terminal was suspicious. He had seen how quickly Katharine could hack into Starfleet, she had stolen an Ensign’s identity before and even managed to get into PRION, but this was taking her longer than even he thought possible.

 Her fingers flickered to the protocol log for the docking station, he noticed that there were several empty docks, but the Enterprise had been told there wasn’t space. The Admiral’s activities became even more suspicious, it had been his experience with other races that when an individual as powerful as Gardner lied, it meant his activities were illicit and threatening to more than one party. His eyes skimmed over the list of ships, only to realize the Enterprise was the only major vessel around Earth, the rest were either being built or were shuttles, his eyes widened with this knowledge. Vulcan never left herself vulnerable, there was always a series of ships hovering in orbit, a precaution and warning to others to avoid engaging in combat with them. Yet, Earth, was defenseless. All that was in her orbit were the Ambassadorial vessels, communications satellites, a few shuttles, and the _Enterprise_.

As an Ambassador he did not have access to the Fleet’s information on their vessels, it was certainly concerning to see the had left themselves defenseless with the massive amount of tension in the Coalition, Andoria was threatening war with Vulcan, the Romulans were lurking, the Klingons were simply waiting for a chance to strike the humans and he could feel the tension between the Telleraties building as well. The entire thing was going to fall apart and if Earth wasn’t cautious enough they could end up the battle ground. “I’m granting the _Enterprise_ permission to dock,” she stated, bringing him back to their current task.

Immediately Soval pulled out his PADD and sent a message to T’Pol. He couldn’t send it to Archer, it would look odd, but with T’Pol, he could hide it from the fact that she was a Vulcan and former aid of his. “Done,” said Kate as she began to backtrack and looked at the time stamps, he quirked a brow as Katharine opened a black command window. “I’m just going to make sure it isn’t us who get’s caught, I need to change the time stamps and make it look like a mistake,” she explained as she wrote several lines of code to override the system and alter the stamps. He was silent as he watched her manipulate the information and begin wiping traces of her entering the program. “Major, could something similar be used on the Sensors?” he asked. Katharine’s fingers froze over the keys as she snapped her head up to look at him. He noticed realization lighting her clear blue eyes as she said, “It’s possible, I’d have to look at the Arrays to know for sure.”

He nodded, while he wasn’t sure it was the answer, watching Kate manipulate systems to protect them had become something he was accustomed to. He wasn’t comfortable in the slightest with it, but recognized she had little choice in the matter. She pulled out of the program and stared at the screen, “There’s something in here, Amanda can buy us a little more time,” she stated as she began to search through a few documents. Soval tensed, “Katharine, you don’t have time, we will be caught if you continue this,” he stated firmly. Amanda was only supposed to be a minor distraction so they could grant the Enterprise the ability to dock.

She glared at the screen as she continued, “I know, but something isn’t right, at all.” His ears perked up as he heard the sound of foot steps, they were out of time. “We have to leave, someone is coming,” he whispered urgently. Kate ignored him, “50 seconds,” she stated as she located a file, one that made Soval stare at the screen in disbelief. It was a fragment of something, a similar code to what they had been met with at every turn. Each time it was more and more advanced, yet this wasn’t complete, he could tell that much. “Whoa,” whispered Kate as she looked to Soval who was opening a data path. “Your instincts were correct, but now we must leave before we are compromised,” he stated as the file was moved to his PADD. Kate’s fingers were flying over the keys only for her to look to the door, she had heard the laugh that had emanated from the hallway. “Time’s up,” she whispered as she powered the monitor down, Soval looked around and noticed that there was only one way out, the laugh was far enough away where they could slip out.

Without hesitation the pair was across the office and slipping out the door. He could hear Kate’s pulse skyrocket, she looked calm, but the roaring drumming of her heart said otherwise. The sound of footsteps grew louder as the swept through the hallway, in the opposite direction of the steps. They had to find an exit; unfortunately Soval wasn’t familiar with the floor plan. “We have to move, Gardner will have security flooding the hallways soon,” she stated, evidence of how paranoid the Admiral had become. The turns were easy for him to remember as she took them rapidly, passing the offices of several other Admirals, Kate’s fingers were still clutching the keycard, they had to get back to Gardner so she could hand it off.

“We can cut around and get back to the party, so I can slip the badge to him,” she stated as they hooked around another corner and began to head back toward the party. Soval nodded, he could still remember handing Archer and Commander Tucker the data matrix on the security around his home world, it was similar to this, only he hadn’t anticipated being pulled into a situation that was actually more dangerous. While Vulcan would have considered him a traitor if his plan had failed, he would only be exiled. This could get them killed, and while it had to be done, there was a primitive part of him that was afraid if they were captured that what ever was going on would soon reach boiling point and demolish everyone involved.

The music was louder and he heard a familiar voice singing, “She has skill,” he whispered softly, Amanda’s voice was nice, however it wasn’t the best he had heard. Another shiver ran through Kate, this time his eyes narrowed, “Katharine, are you alright?” he asked with concern. The MACCO held her hand out and used the wall to catch herself, he respirator rate was high and he could see a flush on her cheeks that wasn’t the result of make up. “Katharine?” he asked urgently as he watched the blonde close her eyes slowly.

“Soval,” she began only to lick her lips, an indication that her lips and mouth were dry. Immediately Soval began to categorize other symptoms, dry mouth, accelerated respiratory rate, elevated pulse, fever, and weakness, all were signs of a toxin in most humans. He wasn’t an expert but had read enough about poisons and toxins to know she had ingested one. The vehicle for such a thing he wasn’t certain of, the entire evening they had been cautious, not eating or drinking anything offered to them. He paused, drink, she had the water that the waiter had brought them. He watched another shiver wrack her body as she began to slip down the wall.

Instinctively he wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from crashing to the floor. He could feel the heat of her fever lick his skin, she was too hot for a human. Tentatively he brushed his fingers over her skin, he disliked doing such things as he had seen them as an invasion of privacy, however he had to know if she was nauseous or he thoughts on the situation. His mind was greeted with a hum of confusion, dizziness and irritation. He knew she was irritated with herself for making such a mistake, it wasn’t in her nature to do such a thing. She was attentive, “Katharine,” he whispered in an attempt to bring her back to the present.

“What?” she asked sluggishly, he could tell there was more to the question, yet it didn’t come. Her mind was slipping into a fog and he shifted her so he was holding her up. “You’ve been drugged,” he whispered quickly as he pressed her to his chest and was deciding if he should carry her. It would draw attention to them if he carried her, but he had no idea how to exit the building without being seen. “What’s going on here?” asked a gruff voice.

The Ambassador pivoted to see Admiral Gardner with the Chairman of PRION side by side looking at him in confusion and curiosity. “She is not feeling well, she had complained of a headache from the lights before,” he remarked. Gardner smiled a little, it was devious and made Soval’s skin crawl slightly as he schooled his features to be as impassive as possible. “That’s unfortunate, I had hoped she would enjoy herself, it’s been such a long time since she had attended an event,” he mused ruefully. Soval shifted her in his arms to support her weight without causing her discomfort. The expression on Gardner’s face was a clear indication that something was going on. “Yes, we will be returning to the consulate,” he replied as the Admiral nodded with mock solemnity. The man reeked of champagne and the aftershave he seemed insistent on wearing, despite the fact he knew many species had sensitive olifary sensory. Gardener’s gray eyes glimmered in the light as he replied, “Excellent, have Kate contact me, I want to make sure our MACCO is safe.” The use of the word our was not missed by the Ambassador, the overall tone of the statement was anything but supportive.

Now, he clearly understood why Kate hadn’t been near Starfleet in several weeks, they were treating her as an outsider. “That is reasonable,” he stated. Gardner looked over to the President of PRION, the pair were together, which made him believe that whatever they were up to, wasn’t going to end in a way that would be in their favor. “Good night Ambassador, I hope you enjoyed the party,” he stated as he began to walk by Soval. In that second he took the opportunity to slip the card back into the man’s pocket. The Admiral and President proceeded down the hallway, clueless to the fact that they had been in his office. That would not remain, and it was best to leave the building as soon as possible. Dark eyes fell on Kate, she was lapsing in and out of consciousness, “Katharine, stay awake,” he instructed as he pulled out his communicator.

He didn’t wait long for Suran to reply, “Katharine has ingested a toxin,” he stated swiftly. He could hear the Vulcan shifting, his aid was always quick to react. There was a murmur in the background, he could hear Amanda asking him a series of questions only to contact their flitter, “Meet us in the back Ambassador,” stated Amanda. Soval looked to Kate and replied, “Understood,” prior to hanging up. She was in danger, he would have to get her to the consulate and then seek the aid of Stron or Yuris. Neither of them had left yet to return to Vulcan, and at this moment they were the only two he could trust. He didn’t even trust his personal healer to handle her, she had a better relationship with Yuris, after all he had taken care of her burns, and he wanted someone familiar to be present as opposed to a stranger. Humans did not do well waking up with strangers looming above them, and with Kate’s past from what he had learned from one of her nightmares, that could trigger something far worse. Without further delay he swept her into his arms and began to carry her out of the building.

It was fortuitous that he had been inside this section of Starfleet a number of times while working with Maxwell to know the layout of the building so intimately. It is true that Vulcan’s have edict memory, but it is impossible to use if they never actually learned the layout. The backdoors drew nearer, he was about to walk through them when they swung open. Abiding by instinct he slipped into a defensive position only to notice Commander Shran standing in the doorway. “Soval, you better move it,” growled the commander, his impatience ringing in Soval’s ears and for once he could not find it in himself to argue with the abrasive Andorian.

The Ambassador slipped out of the doors and was greeted by a gust of cold wind, it sent a shiver through him, now he understood the Terran saying, “Something wicked this way comes.” It was an odd one that he heard Max mumble on occasion whenever he had a feeling of foreboding settle within him. The flitter was waiting for them, Ambassador Krim had clearly decided to leave with his own transport. Shran shuffled in behind him as Soval looked at Kate once more, her eyes were cloudy, and effect of the drug that was in her system. “Go,” he commanded as he began to place Kate on the seat of the flitter, only for her to rouse completely. “Soval?” she asked, there was silence in the flitter, he could feel their eyes on them. It wasn’t a usual thing for her to use his first name, then again, he was certain the drugs were also the source behind this.

He slowly assisted her in sitting up, “How do you feel?” he asked. She blinked twice, before responding, “It’s too hot in here,” he watched her tongue run over her lips once more. The scent of something sweet wrapped around him, it was then he realized why the other Vulcan and Andorian were stiff, pheromones. Humans had very few but those species that were sensitive could always note when a human was seeking a mate. Yet, she didn’t smell that way before, the fever under her skin seemed to grow as the pieces fell together. He was pulled from his musings when a far too hot form leaned against his own. He could remember his own desires to hold her in the arctic, to be the one to comfort her, to protect her, and battle her demons.

“Major?” he asked as he looked over to see a pair of blue eyes staring at him, they were the color of the Terran sky, a color he had come to associate with this watery world and all it’s possibilities. Her cheeks were flushed, as he noticed a bead of sweat slip down the side of her face, “Not Major, Kate,” she stated firmly, “I think we are past the Major part.” Soval’s eyebrows shot up in confusion, he did not see how they were, she may not have been able to escape being harmed, however, she had done her job admirably. He was about to question her, only to note she was slowly sitting up and leaning toward one of his ears.

Humans had the habit of whispering when they didn’t want others to hear, he disliked it, but was well aware that toxins did many things to different species. “You woke me up, and saw it, you feel it,” she stated. He was going to correct her when he felt something warm, soft and slightly damp slip over the shell of his ear. His eyes closed as he shivered with pleasure, she had found one of their most sensitive areas, their ears. “I remember the Vulcan kiss, I liked it,” she whispered before nipping the tip of his ear. His lips parted as a moan tumbled from him, his tightly strung control was going to snap if she continued. He could feel his Katra stirring within him, just as it had when he had watched her follow a line of logic to discover the signals were the same, or when she had fired the sniper. “Kate,” he hissed as he felt her fingers slipp over his, they traced patterns into the palm of his hand and he stiffened.

“Cease,” he hissed as his eyes snapped open and he grabbed her wrist. She was going to embarrass herself, it wasn’t his reputation he was concerned with. He gently squeezed it as he placed it on her lap. “Soval, I’ve seen these symptoms before,” stated the gruff voice of the Andorian. Soval’s dark eyes fell on the man, his gaze held enough of a question, Shran appeared deeply concerned in that moment as well as slightly amused. “The Orion Syndicate,” he stated. The Vulcan Ambassador stiffened, there were hundreds of compounds used by the Orions, all of which were illicit on Vulcan after several unintentional triggers of Pon Far. “Which one?” asked Soval with irritation as he felt Kate cuddle into his side.

Commander Shran looked uncomfortable as he replied, “If it’s the one I think, she’s going to need the antidote or someone to mate with, it’s the only way to get it out of her system.” That did little to inform him of the particular compound, there were several strains that were considered so deadly that not even slave traders used them, only those who were truly desperate would resort to them, as they caused internal damage on an alarming scale. Amanda growled, causing Soval to turn to her, “No, I don’t give a shit what she’s been dosed with get the antidote, don’t subject her to that,” she snapped. Soval was silent as he looked at her, “I am not suggesting that we do so, however, it is something that we may have to consider if we are unable to get the antidote,” Soval responded.

Amanda clenched her fists, her dark brown eyes held a lethal fire as she spat, “If you attempt it, I will not hesitate to kill you, she’s been hurt enough.” A warning, Suran was about to jump to his aid when he held up his hand to stop the man, “I can not harm her,” he stated with conviction, “I know she is fragile, I will not allow anymore harm to befall her.” His own blood boiled at the notion that he would harm the already delicate young woman he had come to know. She appeared strong, as strong as the finest steels, but even they had their limits, their flaws, and he knew just enough pressure would break her. His gaze narrowed as she crossed her arms, challenging him as though it were a battle she could win. “Really? Where you there? Did you come to help her pick up the pieces? Did you try to put her life back together?” she snarled. Soval was silent as he watched her hands whip around about her, “Even after her father died, you went back to Vulcan, leaving her alone. Don’t you dare claim you care about her, you’re just like the rest!” her voice carried in the cabin violently, he could feel her anger radiate off of her in waves.

Soval watched Amanda’s face turn brilliant red with anger, “You only help when it’s convenient.” The Ambassador felt Kate sag further into him she let out a sigh of content as he shifted his arm to allow her more space to do so. “You are incorrect Major,” Suran began his tone was slightly elevated, as it always was when it came time to defeat him. Soval shook his head and said, “Enough,” as his gaze fell on Katharine, who had lost consciousness during the flight. He wasn’t about to allow that, he had enough, as he looked toward the pilot, they were just outside of the Embassy and he noticed Yuris waiting dressed in a white robe, apparently he had been notified. Silence stretched between them as the flitter stopped, it was a flurry of white robes as Yuris had Kate put on a gurney. “Symptoms,” he commanded, his tone was sharp and Soval noticed he seemed slightly upset.

Soval rattled them off as they sprinted down the hallway, she didn’t have time, and if it was an Orion drug, the probability of internal damage being done was higher. Orinons weren’t known for creating safe aphrodisiacs, there was a reason they were part of the slave trade. Yuris ran a scanner over her and began to run several diagnostics simultaneous, “Her temperature is too high, we need the cooling pads,” he commanded. Soval stood back as he watched them run to and fro; the women were carrying several stacks of the pads. It was an unusual addition, however, they had invested in them after noticing how Katharine often got injured, and needed them to assist in reducing the swelling. “Get her out of the dress,” commanded Yuris, he watched as the dress was cut away, the garment that had been the talk of the admirals and ladies was in pieces on the floor. Laying on the bed in only her black lace undergarments was a flushed and scared Katharine. He had only seen the scars once, they were gruesome, and her nightmares had been more than enough to tell of how they had been earned.

The healer’s hands hesitated as his eyes fell on the most gruesome of them, in that moment he knew that Yuris had never seen them. He watched a look of sadness flicker in his eyes, before the healer set to work. “Her body temperature is still too high,” he stated in desperation. They had to bring it down, and they couldn’t, “As is her respiration rate,” he stated as his hands swept over the cooling pads. Another healer sprinted over as he stated, “Her hormones are too elevated, we need to counter act them, I have T’Vok searching for the toxin.” Toxicology regardless of the time was slow and with the Orion’s so many compounds were similar that even using the databases to identify the right one was difficult.

Soval stared as the monitors began to ring out, her heart rate was far too elevated, if it persisted she would crash. The Ambassador’s mind slipped into over drive, he was supposed to protect her, he had promised Maxwell as well as the girl on the cot that he would. He was failing, he couldn’t afford to, he craved to protect her, to make her happy. He had seen her stare at the painted sky in wonder, laugh at a child, the way she could care for him, she had listened to him speak of his wife and even stood up for him. He was intrigued by her strength and courage, which seemed to contradict the past he had seen a glimpse of. He wanted desperately to chase her demons away. White robes flew past her as they frantically began thinking of ways to bring her temperature down.

He could remember her in the gardens, how she would look out the windows, he had never walked trough them with her. He couldn’t bring himself to he was concerned it would cross a line. Yet, he had invited her to the gala, not as protection – he had invited her because he wanted to dance with her. Soval internally chastised himself, he wasn’t supposed to have these desires for his guard, yet he wanted to make her happy. Seeing her happy somehow pleased him.

The Ambassador paused, the gardens, they had ponds. It was cold and the water would be 55 degrees, cold enough to bring her temperature down. In seconds he was across the room and sweeping her into his arms, cooling pads and blankets included. “OSU!” shouted Yuris as Soval sprinted out of the room. He ignored the unusual looked he received as he left the walls of the consulate, and the constant shouting from the medical staff, it wasn’t normal for him to do something impulsive, however explaining it wasn’t enough. He had to act. Her skin felt like fire against his own, it reminded him of the searing green fires of ponfar that haunted him.

Soval shoved that thought to the back of his mind as he placed her on the grass. Yuris had skidded to a stop next to him only to notice the pond. “Get towels!” commanded Yuris as Soval began unfastening the clasps of his outer robe, “And a warming blanket!” he added with hast as he held Katharine up so she wasn’t laying flat on the ground. The Ambassador allowed his robes to fall carelessly as he slipped his tunic over his head. The cold air sliced across his skin, jolting him into awareness. He knew this wasn’t the best idea being a Vulcan but Katharine would drown in the pond alone. After slipping off his shoes he stepped into the pond, oddly grateful that the gardener had decided to add it after seeing the gardens of Japan.

The water of the pond chilled him instantly, causing him to hiss, “Osu,” Yuris said with concern. Soval continued until he was up to his waist in the cold water. It felt as though knives were flaying his skin, but he also knew he would acclimate, slowly, but it would work. He held his arms out, “Hand her to me, Yuris,” he said gently. The doctor nodded in affirmation as he gently placed an unconscious Katharine in his arms. With care he lowered her into the water, making sure her head was kept above it at all times. His arms instinctively wrapped around her middle as he held her to his chest. Her feverish skin was soft  and supple under his hands. He could feel her heat thundering in her ears, and the expansion of her chest. “It’s alright, Kate,” he whispered.

~~vOv~~

Amanda was seething; she hadn’t anticipated something like this occurring. They had prepared for the worst, and now she was standing with Suran, and her friend had been drugged with something even the Andorians were afraid of. Kate had been through enough and now the Ambassador was speaking of the possibility of having to harm her to save her. Amanda grit her teeth, she despised seeing Kate vulnerable, she wasn’t supposed to be in that position ever again. The image of Soval carrying her prone form in his arms was painful and reminded her too much of that night in the bathroom. “T’Sai, the Ambassador will do all that is in his power to save her,” Suran remarked as he stood beside Amanda, his posture was slightly relaxed, and his robes were still pristine. Amanda whipped around, her hair flying about as she did so, the hair sticks had long since been removed.

“He didn’t the first time,” she hissed, “Where was she when she needed him? Where was he when she was sick with pneumonia because she had been left in a cold house without heat?” she stated. Her gaze was on Soval, it narrowed as she drew closer to him, “Where was he after she had been raped and beaten?” Suran’s eyes went wide and Amanda froze, she had said something she shouldn’t have, instantly she regretted it. She reeled backwards, she swore she would never utter a word of that night. She had asked a friend of hers who was a judge to seal Kate’s records, for the sake of Admiral Forrest’s memory. That night was the worst of her life, she could remember waiting outside the OR, just for a whisper of Kate’s status.

Suran was stock still, his eyes narrowed as utter confusion contorted his usually serene features, his silver hair fell above his brow as his tempest colored eyes settled on her. “Kate was?” he began, only for the rest of the question to become lost, it was then she realized that Suran cared much more than she knew. Amanda nodded as she slowly relaxed, the tension leaving her slightly as she drew another breath. “Yes, she was, and I found her that way. You should see the scars, they… she doesn’t even,” Amanda felt tears begin to sting her eyes, she couldn’t break down, Kate needed her, so did Suran and the others. “Kate doesn’t think she’s worth anyone’s love,” whispered Amanda brokenly, “She doesn’t think she’s pretty enough to be loved, or that anyone would want someone who was broken.” She could feel his gaze and that of others who had stopped to listen. “She was raped by a man she thought loved her,” said Amanda softly. She listened to the steps of Vulcans around her stop and the room fall silent.

She looked at Suran and noticed anger flash across his features, “Where is this person? Was he prosecuted?” he asked darkly. Amanda froze, she had never seen a Vulcan use a tone that would indicate violence, they always shied from it. “No, he’s dead,” she stated softly, suddenly the floor seemed so much more interesting, “Kate shot him.” Nothing moved, it was as though the universe had stopped, and she knew it wasn’t possible to go back. She was under their scrutiny, and she had already revealed more than she should have. “Pink skin?” asked the deep voice of Commander Shran, he had been listening, she knew he had.

Amanda steeled herself as she finally looked up, there were several Vulcans around her, faces she had seen in passing, as well as T’Vok and Kruss, each of them looking angry and mortified by the secrets that she had sworn to keep for Katharine. Yet, part of her, a small part, hoped that by telling them she could help heal the wounds that were nearly a decade old. “Kate was in the hospital for two weeks, intensive care for a majority of the time. When I brought her in, she was nearly dead and it was touch and go for a while,” Amanda began as she remembered sitting in the plastic chairs, waiting, waiting to hear of her friend, waiting to see if she too would survive the night. Amanda wrapped her arms around herself, as if to protect herself from the rest of the world. “After she got out, she had nightmares, they were so bad that she got kicked out of her apartment for the screaming and ended up going to her old house,” she explained, “After she got sick I moved in with her, but the nightmares didn’t seem to end, each one of them giving her more pieces of the puzzle she had attempted to block from the rest of herself. Slowly, they subsided, but eight months late she started getting odd gifts.”

There was a look exchanged between Suran and T’Vok, “They were of varying price but each time with a note, that was horrible and Kate never kept them. It got worse, the gifts showed up at the academy, and she was being trailed. Campus security told us we were exaggerating, and the Admirals ignored her, like everyone did. She wasn’t important, her father was, she was just another orphan created by them,” she snarked, “Then the gifts stopped, we had thought he gave up, until we saw him in the apartment, he was going to rape us both. He was holding a gun, and we both reacted out of instinct.” Amanda shivered as she wrapped her arms around herself, she could remember his stench, and how he had pinned her to the floor. “I froze, he had me pinned, and I couldn’t seem to move,” she whispered with shame, Kate knew, but she had never told a soul.

The brunette closed her eyes, her brow was furrowed as she said, “Then, somehow, Kate had gotten the gun. She shot him in the head. It was a single shot.” Amanda could never remember the events after that moment, all she knew was that the shot had been fired and the man who had abused Kate was gone. “He was a professor,” she whispered in the end. A pair of warm fingers tilted her chin up, they were gentle in nature, as she felt a soothing warmth caress her existence. “Osu will not harm her, she is too important to him,” Suran explained, his silver hair contrasted greatly against his skin, and tempest colored eyes boring into her. His words rang in her ears, as though they would sooth her temper to the point it was a dull rumble.

She drew a breath as he asked, “This attack, does she have nightmares?” Amanda nodded immediately, she could remember the blood curdling screams from her. There had been many nights where Kate would bolt up right, covered in a sheen of sweat and eyes unseeing. She could still remember the bruises she sported after attempting to rouse her, only to find herself being strangled by her. “Yeah, violent ones, why?” she asked. Suran’s brows furrowed with concern as he replied, “Osu had roused Katharine two nights ago, and they were fighting, I heard it from upstairs,” he paused for a moment and Amanda stared at the Vulcan. Suran wasn’t the type to meddle, he hadn’t said anything that wasn’t within the realm of professionalism until that moment.  “When I had gotten up the stairs after rousing you, she was in his embrace. It was the first time I have seen him in a state of comfort since his wife,” he said softly, “He was at peace. He hasn’t had that in nearly two decades.”

Her eyes widened, to imagine the Ambassador at peace with her best friend in his arms, “Was she alright?” she asked keenly. Suran’s shoulders fell slightly as his air warmed, “Yes, she was the one who had initiated it,” he replied. Kate had willingly touched a man, that was something she hadn’t done in a very long time. In fact, she hadn’t since the attack on her by Malik. “She, she initiated it?” she asked slowly. The idea that she had didn’t seem to hit home until that moment. She wrapped her arms around herself and began to walk inside, “He just better not hurt her,” she whispered. Amanda continued to walk through the entryway and headed in the direction of the security office. Kate was in the hands of the doctors, there wasn’t much for her to do except get her hands on the security footage and find out just who had been responsible for poisoning her.

If she could get the footage and use facial recognition software they would be closer to discovering who they were up against. All she could do was pray that she wasn’t caught, if they caught her hacking, she could be tried for treason. Then again, if Star Fleet was supporting the events which had transpired over the past three months, she didn’t want to be part of it.

~~vOv~~

The feeling of cold against her burning core caused Katharine to jolt awake. Her eyes flew open and she began to panic as she felt something wet caress her skin. She struggled only to feel something holding her in place. “Kate, relax, you are safe,” said a steady voice above her head. The fog was vanishing slowly, pulling its self away from her and returning to the sea. “You are safe now,” the voice reiterated, chasing away the fear that had settled inside her. Slowly she looked up to see a pair of deep brown eyes staring down at her, they were filled with relief and affection, it was the same expression he had worn the night he had roused her from her nightmare. His hair was slightly damp and the moonlight made it appear even brighter in shade. “Katharine,” he said softly as he held her close. Warmth and affection flooded her system, his powerful chest was against her back as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her securely. The scent of sandalwood, spices and him seemed to ease her mind as she hummed contently. The fires were slowly dying as she felt the cool water put them out.

A warm hand slipped over her head and settled on her forehead, a soft whisper echoed in her mind, “She is cooling,” he stated to someone else. Hesitantly Kate looked toward the edge to see the familiar face of Yuris kneeling beside the pool, with a stack of blankets and towels beside him. “What happened?” she asked, her mind was a blur as she allowed herself to rest against Soval’s steady form. It was odd, he was allowing her to touch his skin, she knew all too well the Vulcans never allowed the touching of skin, especially after the kiss they had shared. Once again his arms were protecting her from the world, as they had several times before, including in the Yukon. She hummed as she felt him absently stroke her hair, it was a tender feeling. She closed her eyes tiredly as he spoke, “Katharine, how do you feel?” his voice rumbled in his chest. She tilted her head to the side, she could feel the skin of his shoulder against the back of her head as she replied, “Better, hazy but better.” Something warm curled in her stomach, and she licked her lips.

Soval hummed as he adjusted his hold on her, “Good, let’s get you out of this cold water,” he said simply as he swept his arm under her legs and lifted her with grace. It was then she realized he was in only a pair of pants, a blush swept over her; she was naked before the Ambassador. A doctor didn’t bother her, but Soval, he was different. She was attracted to him, even if she didn’t want to admit it. At first she didn’t want to admit it, he was stubborn, stern and always seemed to look down upon her. Yet, as time passed and she slowly kept her watch of him, he transformed from the stuffy and unyielding Ambassador to a man that she had come to like, and perhaps even love. Kate stiffened a little, love, that word had always come with pain and foreboding, yet, now she craved it. He had looked upon her with affection several times, she could remember his voice coaxing her to consciousness, his large hands chasing the demons away, his scent lulling her to sleep and the very way his fingers made hers tingle when they touched, it was as though he had awakened a part of her she had forgotten.

The Ambassador held her securely to him as he allowed Yuris to drape a series of towels over them and a group of heating blankets. Yuris was silent, and somehow she could note how pleased he was at this chain of events. Kate felt the muscles under his skin shift as he continued to carry her through the building, toward his privet residence. The quiet that stretched between them wasn’t awkward, but calm, as though several issues were put to rest. That every struggle had been resolved, despite the storm that was brewing outside their doors, as long as she was with him. As long as he was beside her, she could face the world, no she could face the universe. Kate smiled at that notion, as she snuggled into his chest. She had no idea if he would stand beside her in that way, if he even felt the same about her, but if not, she was willing to keep silent. She would remain silent as she watched over him, protecting him like a guardian angel the entire time, a broken heart healed, but watching him die would kill her.

Kate felt tears build, her emotions were ripping through her, and she had a feeling it was the result of the drugs, but at the same time, she wondered if it was her rational mind telling her how impossible it was.

They turned the corner and stood outside the privet residence only for him to pause and look down at her, Yuris had been trailing them, but stopped several meters away. “Katharine,” he said softly, the way his tongue caressed her name was enough to spark her affection for him. Sky blue eyes lifted to fall upon his intense gaze, it was searching as though he sought the key to the universe. “Are you alright?” he asked, she nodded. In truth she wasn’t but if she told him it would all change, and she didn’t want to lose him. She had risked it when he had seen her nightmare, and not she could loose him permanently after the blunder she had made at the gala. Soval continued to walk through the residence, his feet were soft against the floors as he did so. She waited patently to be placed in her bed, only for him to walk past her door, “Yuris, you may leave I will tend to her,” instructed the Ambassador. Kate glanced over her shoulder to watch Yuris nod before leaving, he had been dismissed and now Kate as nervous.

Never before would he have dismissed a physician, nor would Yuris simply obey. In the past he would insist that they remained, or Yuris would trail behind them demandingly. Yet, now he vanished as though he were made of smoke, leaving her literally in the arms of the Ambassador. His warm hands were gentle against her skin, she reveled in his heat and listened to his breath. It was only then she realized she couldn’t hear his heart, then again, he was a different species and his heart could possibly be in another location. Questions buzzed in her mind as she attempted to understand his actions, this wasn’t his typical behavior. His posture was perfect as he stood before an all too familiar door.

Her attention was on the door before them, it was the door to his room. The once place she had never dared entering, his sanctuary. The door opened with ease, the lights never came to life as he crossed the room, she knew he had superior eyesight but didn’t realize just how good it was until then. The room smelt of desert spices, his incense and him, while most would have run, she didn’t. The walls glowed in the blue caress of the moon, a gentle cream that reminded her of the sand stones of the Middle East. The room was spacious, even though it was dark she could make out the natural elements that seemed to surround him, it was as though he had taken a portion of Vulcan with him when he moved to the planet. She wondered if this was what it was like to be on Vulcan, surrounded by spices, and intrigue. Never once had he allowed her in this room, and yet, he was carrying her into it.

Situated in the middle of the room was a very large bed, it was sitting on a platform that was surrounded by a wooden step and she could see several large pillows upon it. The sheets were dark in color, they appeared maroon and sparked silver in the light, with a thread of black. Her eyes widened at the assortment of pillows, she had seen such things in the Sahara but not in the home of an individual. She didn’t believe Vulcan’s would indulge in such things, then again, she did not know very much about Soval. “Ambassador?” she asked curiously as she felt herself being placed on his large bed, it was larger than it had to be for a single person. She could feel the entire mattress caress and support her body, it wasn’t soft, but she could certainly feel it keeping her spine aligned. It was an odd sensation to lay on his bed, the scent of him wrapped around her. It was powerful and seemed to caress a part of her soul that made her body hum with delight.

His dark eyes watched her for a moment, before he walked over to his closet and pulled out a long dark robe, it looked soft to the touch as all his other robes did. She recognized it as a sleeping robe, one she had never seen him wear. He was always wearing a tunic and pants, it made her wonder if it was truly his as she had never seen him wear the article. Soval was silent as he stood before her, the robe was open. The fabric whispered against the bed as he waited patently, oddly he never said a word but she knew what he desired her to do. Kate spread her arms slowly, she had been undressed before but this was an experience all its own. The robe whispered over her skin, its caress sweeping over it, sending a current of electricity through her. Soval’s touch was tender, as his fingers swept against her unguarded skin. Every nerve under he skin sparked to life as she felt his fingers move confidently to ensure she was wrapped in the garment. His fingers swept purposefully over her exposed skin, leaving goose bumps in their wake.

His dark eyes fell on her face as he wrapped her in the supple fabric, never blinking he observed her, as though a single move would cause her to run. Her eyes followed his actions inquisitively; never before had he made such an intimate move toward her. His breath fluttered over her skin as he knelt before her with the thick sash in his hands. Every movement was measured, calm, but attentive, she could feel his sincerity and knew that he needed this. She stared at him as he tied the sash securely around her waist. “Ambassador?” she implored once again, she looked at his bowed head as he closed his eyes and drew a breath. He was battling with himself, she could see the turmoil inside him, it was far greater than anything she had witness from him.

“Not the Ambassador, Soval. I am Soval,” he said gently, his voice left no room for argument as Kate’s eyes widened, he very rarely gave her permission to say his name. Kate nodded as she whispered, “Soval,” she loved how sweet his name was on her tongue, it was exotic and tasted just as exhilarating as the man before her. Dark eyes were upon her face once more as he said, “I nearly lost you tonight,” his voice was slightly strained. She could feel his control slipping from between his fingers, it was a different feeling in comparison to his anger when she had come home late from the Crystal Palace. This was filled with loathing and fear, she could tell he despised his inability to maintain his composure, yet he was far too afraid of losing her to prevent himself from falling further. Kate felt bold as she slipped her fingers into his hair, it was softer than it looked, but thick and well maintained. “I’m still here,” she said softly.

Soval was stiff as she ran her fingers over his scalp. “You saved me,” she reminded him, her tone soft and encouraging as she did so. The Vulcan looked downward in shame, it was so blatantly written on his features she feared there was something very wrong with him. “Soval, please look at me,” she commanded of him, knowing it was the only way for him to respond to her. His eyes flickered to her, he looked younger, lost and terrified all in the same breath. “You could die because of me,” he stated harshly, “I lost Maxwell to his sense of duty I will not lose you,” he declared, “Not you.” His jaw tightened as Kate slowly traced down the side of his face with the pads of her fingers, exploring his sharp features, and tracing the lines he had acquired on his face, marks of wisdom that he should bare with pride. “I’m still here,” she stated.

Soval pulled back with a jerk, as though she had burned him. His eyes were wide as his nostrils flared, “You do not comprehend, I could have been the reason you were killed. This is too dangerous,” he all but shouted. Kate was still as she felt his anger boil, it startled her that he was feeling such emotions all in a single setting. He had always been controlled, yet now, it was as though they had reached his breaking point. “I became a MACCO to help create a better future, and that path lead me through dangerous battles,” she began as she leaned closer her hand slipping over the back of his in an attempt to soothe him, “exhausting training sessions, hacking various systems and doing everything I could to live,” her fingers traced circles on the back of his hand, “With each act I thought I would follow my father’s path,” she said and huffed in amusement, she had followed his path, the one he had created for her. “That path has lead me here, to you,” she said simply. Her fingers slowly traced the circles counter clockwise as she whispered, “I chose this life, as you chose your own.”

The Vulcan’s eyes narrowed, as an expression of great confusion crossed his features. It was adorable, only she could cause him to look in such a manor, “I am not gone Soval,” she said softly as she wrapped her fingers around his wrist. She could feel his pulse pounding against her fingertips, it was rapid and only then noticed his skin felt even hotter than before. The blonde ignored this as she lifted his hand, she could feel the sparks she had felt during their kiss as she guided it toward her chest. Her sky blue eyes were locked on his dark brown eyes as she did so. Her movement was slow, but her own heart raced, part of her wondered if this action was a good one, while another and instinct told her it was what he needed. With certainty, Kate slipped his broad hand under the silken robe and placed it on her chest, just above her heart.

“I’m still here,” she stated.

Soval’s eyes were wide for a moment, latched on her face as she held his hand to her chest, enjoying the heat emanating from it. She knew he was nervous and that she may have gone too far, but in her opinion this was what was required of her. To remind him, that she wouldn’t go anywhere without a fight. “I’m right here,” she whispered. She felt his thumb sweep over her sensitive skin and released a shaky breath, her body began to tremble as she felt his warmth seep into her skin. Soval looked to her hand and then to her face once more, his expression was soft as he replied, “You are here.” Kate nodded with a courage she didn’t even realize she possessed. Soval raised his free hand up in the air his two fingers extended to her, a gesture she had only seen between couples in the consulate. An intimate one that she had a feeling was the same as a kiss. Kate raised her fingers hesitantly, nervousness fluttering in her chest as her fingers met his.

She could feel his fingers relax against her and watched as his eyes closed, a look of pure peace spread across his face. Kate smiled a little at the sight of the man she knew to be so tightly wound that she wondered if he could look like this. The urge to kiss him struck only for him to say, “Not tonight, rest.” Kate was confused as she felt him gently push her down into the bed, “You will sleep here tonight. So I can ensure your safety, I require meditation,” he said evenly. Kate slipped under the thick covers and watched as he rose from the bed, her eyes fell upon his form as he walked over to his wardrobe once more and pulled out a pair of pants. Just as she hoped she would get to see even more of him, he vanished.

Kate huffed in frustration, she had just felt his being caress her, hold her and proclaim the need to protect her. Now he was going to meditate, she was still as she remember Suran’s lecture. Vulcans had even more emotions than humans, she couldn’t imagine what it was like to feel so deeply but never show it for fear it would cause harm. She cuddled into his covers and inhaled deeply as his scent seemed to lull her mind to sleep, tomorrow was another day, it was then she would battle the demons.

~~vOv~~

Gardner swept through his office and took a seat at his desk, his eyes fell on the monitor before him. The party had been a success, and he couldn’t wait to finally lay his hands on a variety of pieces of information, some of it worth even more than he had even anticipated. Each Ambassador had been willing to upload PRION’s extensions and seemed keen on the additional security. Gardner hummed as he leaned back in his seat, the leather was soft and the chair it’s self always made him seem more imposing than he truly was. “Do you think it worked?” asked the pseudo Chairman across from him, only Sarah Prion herself would think to implement such a tool. Personally, Gardner liked it when his pray knew it was he who held the weapon. The look of terror in their eyes upon the realization that he was in fact the only individual who could both save and destroy them, it gave him immense amounts of pleasure. “It did, I know it did,” he stated as he opened a large physical roster, it was safer than keeping a digital one, especially with Kate around. He knew just how skilled the blonde was with a computer, it was the reason he had attempted to stonewall her by limiting her PADD’s access and tagging her with a tracking program.

With each clue she had shown him all of her theories without knowing she had, and he knew for certain she wasn’t onto his scheme. “There is a great risk, if we do not locate it or the Admin we will not be able to access it and use it as we please,” Howard Maizel supplied as he paced the room, his steps wearing tracks into the wooden floor of the office, irritating Gardner with each step. “Maizel, sit or I will strap you to the damn chair, we all know Paxton wants the aliens out of Terran space, however we are working toward something even better,” he stated as he steepled his fingers before him, smirking. Paxton had a single track mind, it had been all too easy for him to manipulate the man into realizing that their purpose as a species wasn’t to simply stay on earth, but was to stretch across the universe and destroying those who stood in their way. While the ships were a crude way to do it, he knew of something even more powerful that would be used to dismantle governments, lay waste to communications and insight paranoia between the most powerful empires to ensure that Terra would have a chance to rise.

Maizel slipped a hand through his hair nervously, knocking it out of its usually restrained style. “I understand this new goal, but to work with the Vulcan who had nearly destroyed an entire culture, can we even trust him?” he asked sternly, Maizel had always been the more moral of the group as well as hesitant. It was a trait that didn’t have too much merit as most of them were standing far above the plebeians, where it was unnecessary. It was quiet between the two, “He committed treason on Vulcan, and yet you place trust in V’Las, don’t you wonder if he will destroy us?” asked Howard. The thought had crossed Gardner’s mind, then again he had set everything up in anticipation that he would. A thing like V’Las was easily delt with in Gardner’s mind. A smirk curled his lips, “I have a plan for that as well, just as we had for the reporter. At least we have a man inside the embassy,” he stated as he thought of Kruss. It was fortunate that Kruss had been willing to join them, yet, he had yet to determine the man’s desires. Even Vulcans had desires, and he was irritated by the fact that while they had been working together for nearly eight years, they had yet to determine what they were.

Gardner hummed as he watched Maizel eye him with intrest, “Don’t worry, we will find it, we had managed to trick Paxton into creating that creature, and kidnapping Stark. If anyone can find it, those two can,” he said with an air of confidence, “besides, Ambassador Soval and Major Forrest don’t even know where to begin.” Maizel crossed his arms as he rocked back on his heels, his eyes were closed as he became lost in thought, yes he was going to hold all the cards soon. “What if she has figured it out?” asked Maizel, “She isn’t stupid, you had to warn her tonight to cease, what makes you think she has?” Gardner’s eyes narrowed, Katharine would obey him, he would make sure of it. After all he had done so once before, it had been difficult but when she started hacking and getting into his personal files he had to make sure the college student wouldn’t do so again. “She knows I will kill her and the Ambassador if she doesn’t,” he replied simply, his tone was flat as though he was speaking of a theory as simple as Pythagorean, even if it was far more complex to execute.

He had always known Kate would be difficult, she always seemed to get in the way, even being transferred to the Ambassador had put a kink in his plans. Then again, it had given him an easier position to isolate her in. “Don’t worry about her, I’ve got it under control,” he stated as he turned his terminal on. Immediately he knew something was wrong, he was being prompted if he would like to download another file. Hazel eyes widened as his fingers flew across the keyboard, “No,” he whispered in irritation as he began to backtrack, the file, she had the file. She had gotten TAPP and knew what they were up to, anger began to boil under his skin, “She couldn’t have,” he hissed as he looked at the entries, the drug was supposed to incapacitate her and force her home. Yet, she had been on his terminal, downloading a file and hacking various aspects of it. He paused as he read the IP of the tablet.

“Clever Kate, I warned you,” he stated with glee as he looked at the number. Maizel was at his side immediately, “I thought you said she wouldn’t figure it out,” he snapped. Gardner chuckled, it didn’t matter now, it wouldn’t he had a way to get rid of the Ambassador and the MACCO legally. “It’s irrelivent, I now have the Vulcan Ambassador for Espionage, as well as violating 13 different codes of the Coalitions Charter,” he said with a grin, “I also have Major Forrest right where I want her.” Maizel turned his head slightly as he looked down at Gardner, it was one he knew meant the man was honestly wondering just what was going through Gardner’s head. Of course the Admiral would use this new position to his advantage, it meant he would finally be rid of the Ambassador and could begin tearing the planet apart searching for it. Soval had been a thorn in the side of Terra Prime for years, now it was only right he would remove it.

“I could have him executed, but instead I will ship him back to Vulcan,” he mused as he began to open a communication channel to Vulcan. “Perhaps she is sloppier than I thought, alert the press as well, they will have a field day with this. Soval wants to be the hero, so we shall paint him as a villain and wrap him in so much tape he will never be able to get a soul to believe him,” he stated as Maizel nodded and pulled out his mobile. Garnder grinned with glee, Soval would be gone, he would finally have control over Kate, which would persuade the other Admirals to follow him in the fight, and he would finally have what he desired the most. “I’ll find you, Sentinel and Guardian,” he said with glee as he watched Maizel make the phone call.

Once he found the pair, he would be able to control more than the planet and the species, but the universe once he perfected the code. All he required was locating the program and it’s Admin. He knew that something so sophisticated has to have a talented Administrator watching over it, he had at first thought it was Katharine Forrest, it was the reason he had been so interested in her from the beginning. After all, her father had managed to get his hands on one of the fabled memory lattices from Global Dynamics through a contact in Tulsa. Gardner had searched for the lattice, only to never locate it, nor any record of what had been on it. Even at Global Dynamics the records state it had never even been created, but somehow one of the millions of lattices were gone. Once PRION had beaten GD, he had used it to his advantage to tear apart the laboratory, but to no avail. Where ever it was hiding, it was beyond his reach, he had to find it.

Commander Stark had been thought to know where it was, but so far he couldn’t get the answer out of him. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t, he had tasked Asan to find out. He smirked as he tipped his index finger to his lips, he had convinced her it was the best method after threatening to have her father shot and burning the villages to the ground, making it appear as though it were an accident. However, Stark hadn’t said anything of merit, or Asan hadn’t reported it. He had a feeling it was due to Stark’s general refusal to do as he was asked. He was a Carter-Stark after all, something he should have foreseen, but now it was irrelevant, the splice had been created and after the disaster with V’Lor, they knew they would have to maintain a partially human subject for the technology to work properly. The answer was simple, create a child that met the specifications and then capture Stark, he needed someone with enough abilities alone to navigate the turbulent system without strife.

“I will have my empire,” he mused as he looked at the screen. Finally, he would overshadow Maxwell Forrest and become the most influential man in the world.


	19. Pyramids and Spheres

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are never simple and after the Gala, Gardener makes his move, one that violently tears at the already fragile relationship between Earth and the Vulcans. Kate uncertain where to begin and if she will be able to truly continue after realizing she had come to depend on Soval and trust him even more than she originally thought. All the while Archer begins to discover the truth and comes to a startling realization that alters nearly everything he knows about Admiral Forrest as well as just how old this war between Terra Prime and other species really is. Soval comes to a realization of his own, that is logical and terrifying at the same time. 
> 
> Ashan leaves Commander Stark as she decides to work on her end to see what Terra Prime is up to, only to discover that they haven't abducted Vulcan children but have resorted to something far more sinister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter takes place directly after "A Christmas Wish" and will reference parts of that story.

##  **Chapter Nineteen: Pyramids and Spheres**

The terran snow had brought visitors, one such was the Minister of Defense from Vulcan, Kuvak. While he had become a close ally of Soval and known for pressing innovation on the planet, the terms for his visit were not those of a kind nature. His arrival had been like that of an emperor, a fanfare as Vulcans quickly made the consulate presentable. Kate's eyes were latched on the Vulcan as he walked through the hallways, Kuvak was older than Soval, and didn't feel as imposing. In many ways he reminded her of Suran, only this Vulcan had the ability to make decisions that lead to a lot of militaries might before them. She had watched him during the snow, that evening when he had embraced a Terran Christmas and set aside Vulcan ideals had been a surprising one for her. If she had been told months ago that they would be willing to put up Christmas trees and give gifts she would have laughed. Only now did she realize that they truly were attempting to better understand humanity.

She slipped her hands into the pants pockets of her black suit. Soval had asked for her to wear clothing that were not militaristic while she did lover her dress uniform and even her everyday wear, it was odd to wear a suit every day. She closed her eyes and drew a breath, she hadn't wanted to be a MACCO, not at first. She had done it to learn how to protect herself. She would never have imagined that she would be good at leading extraction teams, setting up defense systems and using her skills to both gather and protect intelligence. She looked to the floor, her eyes tracing the ornate mosaic under her black polished oxfords. She had dreamed of working with the Vulcans but at a political and economic advisor's capacity. Her talent with computers and programming had been ever present, but she decided to avoid that field. It would only lead to her being locked in a room to stare at screens for the rest of her existence.

She began to meander down the hallway. Her mind was abuzz with theories, they had gotten away from the party unscathed, and they had yet to be reprimanded. Part of her wondered if she had managed to pull it off, however, something in the back of her head advised her that it wasn't over. That they were waiting for an opportunity to present its self. Just after the gala was Christmas, and the holiday had sent a shock to her system as she saw yet another side of the enigma known as Soval. The blonde sighed heavily as she glared at the wall before her. He had again shown her kindness, ever act had disarmed her, and made her feel safe, secure and as though she were important. Yet, she knew better, she was no more important than the Ambassador himself, in fact she was the least important individual in the building.

Soval, he could have anyone, yet, he had been there when she had been drugged and took care of her. She could remember him dressing her in is a robe, the way the fabric caressed her skin and his scent felt like a warm embrace. He had saved her, yet again. She growled at that fact, she was supposed to protect him, she was assigned to do so. He wasn't supposed to do that. He wasn't supposed to wake her from nightmares, save her from slipping on ice, ensure her wounds were treated, protect her from information and torture, and he certainly wasn't supposed to right personal wrongs. Soval had gone so far as to deck the halls of his residence in Christmas, with two enormous trees, he had retained Nick for the next year and even sent him to Vulcan. Kate chuckled a little as she remember Suran calling him a grumpy elf, Kuvak had not made such comment, then again he and Kessil had been tending to children, it wasn't a surprise. That evening he had surprised her in so many ways, he even wore a Santa hat, the odd part was how attractive he had looked into the ridiculous thing. She could remember the slight green tint to his ears, an attractive emerald blush from the cold against the faux white fur, his olive skin seemed to glow against the cool dove gray and his hazel eyes brightened, she had seen emotions in them other than contempt, one that had become so much more prominent that she had a hard time accepting that it had been directed at her.

She turned another corner and noticed a pair of armed Vulcans patrolling, the pair nodded to her cordially as she passed and she returned the gesture. It was odd how a game with the entire outfit of Kruss had managed to alter their perception of her. She had been seen as an arrogant human and now she was treated as an equal. She smiled a little, it was a nice feeling to be included as opposed to rejected which had been what the Vulcans had been doing up until that point.

Kate's footsteps echoed in space as she took a right and glanced at a few pieces of art on small tables. The quiet sound of conversation echoed as well as the rustle of pages. Minister Kuvak had created a stir after Christmas, he wasn't supposed to be on the planet due to political tensions and security concerns. Yet, the Minister had arrived regardless of the advisement of others under the provision that T'Pau had information for Soval that couldn't be delivered through secure channels. His arrival on Christmas was due to the fact that few humans would attack that day, especially since that year it lined up with several other cultural holidays that were considered major. Kuvak was quiet, he had shown warmth around Christmas, for reasons she didn't know. He had been decent to her, even after the trees disappeared and the snow seemed to cover more of the consulate, he didn't even remark on the cool temperature.

There were a soft hum and she pause, the was music, the sound intrigued her as she looked into one of the rooms. Sitting on the floor was T'Vok as well as a group of Vulcans as they played the lyre. Kate crossed her arms and smiled a little as she watched the young Vulcans study diligently. Soval played the lyre, or so she had been told. "Major," said a voice behind her, she knew immediately it was Suran. She quickly turned to him and smiled a little, Suran always seemed to put her at ease. "Hey, what's up?" she asked as they moved away from the door to prevent becoming a distraction. She knew it was tough to learn how to play when people were talking outside, even if she only played the violin. Suran's hands were behind his back and she watched as he glided across the floor with his usual grace. "Admiral Gardner is here and waiting for both yourself and Osu," he stated simply.

Instantaneously the MACCO froze midstep, she hadn't heard from Gardner in months, in fact since she had hacked Starling. Whatever he wanted with them wasn't good, he was part of whatever these complications were. They had after all confirmed it by hacking his terminal. "Okay," she began and resumed pace with Suran, he was taking noticeably shorter strides and turned down a side hallway opposite to the main conference room, it was strategic in nature and she knew there was more. "Have we heard from the journalist, Greyson?" she asked after a moment. It had been a while since she had heard from them, then again journalists did tend to disappear. It was part of their charm, they could serve as spooks or scream so loudly that the world was forced to follow them to silence them. "No, which is concerning Major Cole, as well as T'Vok. We are attempting to locate him," he replied softly. Kate nodded, it would explain the absence of Amanda in the consulate. She turned the corner with Suran, as he continued, "Kuvak doesn't suspect anything, he knows of the attacks but does not suspect that you collapse was anything more than a minor attempt on Osu's life." Kate knew it would appear that way to anyone who wasn't so close to the incidents as they had been.

"We pulled the information off of Gardner's terminal, I covered my tracks, do you think he is here about it?" she asked softly as they passed a pair of Vulcans with a trailing Sehlat. If they were suspected it would certainly provide the Admiral with enough ammunition to have her thrown out of the service, tried for treason and send Soval away. All of those actions would shield his actual movements and reasons, which she had yet to uncover. There was also the missing Commander and Engineer, Stark, he had vanished after Soval had spoken with him, and his absence hadn't even resulted in a peep. It was odd, he was one of the most renown ship designers on the planet, and yet no one knew he was missing. There were layers upon layers of deception, and she knew that Gardner was making his move. "He would not be here if it was minor. Are you certain you were through?" he asked in a hushed tone as they walked past another secretarial desk. Kate nodded only to pause, Soval's PADD. "No," she whispered in horror, she had made a grievous error, which had probably been the result of the drugs in her system that at that point had clouded her judgment. "Soval's PADD, it has been tagged with a special IP, I didn't turn it off," she whispered rapidly, "I didn't incriminate myself." She froze in the middle of the hallway, "I," she stammered. Her mind reeled at the realization that she had just framed Soval. By doing so she risked his life, not just his reputation, but it was an act punishable by death on most planets, Vulcan included.

Earth would call for blood and not only would she be tried for treason but the possibility of her destroying more than her own life seemed amplified. Amanda was in danger as well as Suran. "I," she whispered, her hand slipping between her lips, she had given Gardner a loaded gun and begged for him to fire it. The only question remaining was why he hadn't seen them sooner. Archer was on earth, his ship was being repaired and retrofitted with new hull plating. Kate pleated her fingers through her blonde hair, tugging at the roots as she hissed, "Contact Archer and T'Pol, they need to know the storm that will be coming their way." She was finished, but she could protect them by warning them. They were connected to her because she had altered the dock records, which meant that they would be investigated as well. "Seek out Sarek as well, we need to know how it's going with the pyramid," she said quickly as she began to head to the conference room. Sarek had been attempting to figure it out for the past week, and she had a feeling he wasn't drawing any closer. He had even visited Oregon in hopes that something at GD would trigger it.

Suran closed his eyes as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Kate paused and looked up at him, "Major, please remember, you are not alone. We trust you," he said with confidence, "I trust you, as does Osu." Kate looked into his gray eyes, she could see the sincerity in them, as well as the concern. Suran had been another man she looked up to in her life and hoped that one day he would see his value to both the Ambassador and herself. She nodded stiffly as she turned the corner, she was off to face the dragon, the difference was, this time, she didn't have Excalibur to defend her. She was on her own.

~~vOv~~

Shore leave had once been a coveted opportunity, one that the crew craved after long stints of demanding missions. Yet this time, when they should have been overjoyed to return to Earth, the few that were aware of what was going on, were on edge. Enterprise was early and the fact that it had managed to evade most of the necessary checks and was broadcasted as children in classrooms learned of the ships new upgrades had provided them with more than enough of a shield. Archer stared out the window of his apartment the scent of Vulcan spice tea wafted through his apartment and he listened to the musings of his Chief Engineer, Science Officer, a Vulcan Ambassadorial Aid and his Security Officer, each of them was attempting to use the pyramid and understand the pages. Hoshi had run out to pick up Indian food, T'Pol had selected it and seeing as it was his First Officer's turn they complied.

He had seen his officers work together on many occasions, but didn't expect Sarek to be willing to work with them. Over the last few weeks, he had learned that his judgment of the Vulcan people had been premature, that they weren't very different from humans. Snow was falling as he felt the heat of the radiator slip through his jeans. For those was dozing curled up on the sofa, he could see T'Pol absentmindedly petting him as she spoke with the others in the reflection of the mirror. He smiled a little as the Vulcan scratched his best friend behind the ears. Soval never remarked on his dog, but T'Pol had made plenty of comments, only for him to learn that she actually liked him. The Captain slowly left the window and looked at the box on the counter, the rosewood stood out starkly against the light oak board that lined it. He had read a great deal of it and was in the middle. He knew it was long but hadn't expected Max to write so many details in the book. It was dangerous and a majority of the information within the pages would demolish half of the careers at Starfleet if it was ever released.

The book its self could lead to his own demise as well as everyone in the room. He ran his fingers over the cover of the box, it held the answers they required, and while it was tempting to have T'Pol read it, he was the Captain and knew Max, it was his duty as a friend. He opened the box once again and pulled out the book as he settled on a stool in his kitchen and looked at the page.

_"April 21, 2118_

_Kitty is gone, but not lost._

_There was an accident, Kitty was killed during a flitter accident in Milan. She was shooting for Vogue, it was a dream of hers to shoot models on a runway and finally have her images published. She was ecstatic, the driver of the other flitter was drunk and swerved into her lane, it was either hit the driver or fall into a ravine, she reacted too slowly. I never got a chance to tell her, to tell her about Angela, I didn't even get a chance to exchange rings with her. I lost her, and now everything seems broken. She had been the one holding it together, god I miss her._

_I told her parents, they were upset but not because of me but because Kitty was gone and she didn't know I had been in pain. I told them everything including Angela. They offered their home to me, it was odd, I thought they would hate me, that they would despise my very existence. I'm a monster after all. They argued that I would always be their son; however, they also told me to do the right thing and marry Angela. I was furious of course, but they told me that with my rank it would destroy me. I thought they were old fashioned until I realized how much of a mess it would be._

_Her parents let me look through her things, and instructed me to take a few photos of hers. I was sifting through a portfolio when I found the last thing I ever expected to see. At one point her family had financially been in trouble, but I didn't think she would resort to doing such an act. I don't see anything wrong with it, but I just wish she didn't have to do it alone. She donated a few of her eggs to a fertility clinic, apparently she needed the money to pay for her parents' mortgage they were going to lose it all. I have everything, including the donor number._

_After returning, I had spoken to a friend of mine from the fleet. She was working as a nurse at the same clinic where her eggs were. At first, Sam was reluctant and chastised me like crazy for thinking it was alright to use a girl's info to see if she had kids. She thought I was checking the background of a potential teammate. You should have seen her face when she learned it was Kitty, I don't think Samantha had ever turned so solemn before. While it could get her in trouble she looked it up anyway, I now owe her a very nice bottle of wine, one that is beyond my budget but I'll figure it out._

_I nearly threw up when I learned who had requested her eggs to be implanted inside of her, and just a day before we had sex, which was during ovulation and the eggs were first, Angela. Angela used Kitty's eggs to get pregnant. It turns out that Kitty couldn't have kids because of her own natural acid which is used to kill sperm in the vagina. The eggs were fine so Angela stole them after learning Kitty had donated them."_

Archer gawked at the page before shouting, "WHAT THE FUCK!" Of all the things he had read, of all the manipulations he knew of, none of them were as twisted as using the eggs of the woman the man loved and then getting herself pregnant before he could marry the dream girl. T'Pol was immediate before him, as was Trip and Malcolm, he could see Sarek looming in the doorway, uncertain if he was intruding, his eyes were on the journal now on the counter. "Captain?" asked Trip quickly his souther accent soothing the oncoming rage boiling inside the Starship Captain, it was no wonder Angela despised Kate, and why Max protected her. He rubbed a hand down his face before groaning.

He leaned against the counter with his eyes on the pages, he could see the smears in the ink from anger and tears, the emotions that must have run through the man was enough to make him sick. "Kate isn't Angela's kid," he said slowly as he looked up to Trip and Malcolm, those were the only two who knew who Angela was. The pair stared at him as though he had sprouted another head. "She isn't," he said softly as he looked to T'Pol, "Angela was Max's wife, although now I know the marriage wasn't because he loved her," he explained as he pushed the book to a very confused Tactical Officer. The Brit snatched the book and began to read its page only to curse brightly, "Bloody hell, I've met a lot of women, but none of them have ever done something like that," he seethed.

T'Pol's dark eyes bore into him, searching for an answer when he sighed and explained, "Angela was Katharine Monroe's jealous best friend, it wasn't Angela he fell for. It was Kitty, the photographer who did the series of images for the UN," he supplied. Recognition lit up T'Pol's face as she asked, "How?" Archer shivered, the how was what irritated him and made him want to punch the woman for the pain she had caused Max. He could only imagine the pain when the man realized in order to protect Kitty's child he would have to marry the wench who destroyed Kitty. "She used Monroe's eggs, they had been donated to a clinic. She then drugged Max and raped him to get pregnant several hours after, to inseminate herself," he explained. T'Pol's nostrils flared as her eyes widened and he watched the all too familiar green flames of anger flicker behind her eyes, he had seen that look once before. "That is unacceptable," she seethed, she knew Maxwell had been trapped as Archer did.

Trip stood at a loss as he said, "That's why she was his princess and why after he died she was forgotten." The three cringed at the memory and Sarek finally spoke,

"Does Major Forrest know?"

The question hung in the room heavily, they had no idea if she had known. No one knew outside of the family, and brunet leaned his elbows on the table. "I don't think she does," he said slowly, "She's never acted like it." He pulled the journal toward him as he clenched his fists, he didn't know what it had to do with what was going on.

_"I'm going to name her Katharine Samantha, after two women who are important to me. I don't care what Angela says I will not have Kitty's memory lost just because she decided to shatter everything to pieces. I know I have done terrible things but if I refuse to marry her, Angela has threatened to abort the baby. I can't allow the only piece of Kitty left to die, I can't lose her. I'll marry her, she's stolen Kitty's ring, so it will just be official. She always wanted to be an Admiral's wife and now she will be."_

Archer smiled softly, he had a feeling Kate was named after the mystery women, but now he truly understood the gleam in the man's eyes. She was the only trace of magnificent women left on Earth. "Kate is named after her, he named his princess after the women of his dreams," he whispered warmly. That was why he had done everything to protect her because he was the only one who loved her. There was a very warm hand on his shoulder, he knew from the heat it radiated it did not belong to Malcolm or Trip. He looked up to see Sarek standing at his side, for once the stoic Vulcan had been cast away and a look of sadness but joy was in his eyes. "She wasn't forgotten," he said simply. Archer shook his head as he looked at the journal. It was then he noticed something in the entry after it that got his attention.

_"April 25, 2118_

_I know what Terra Prime is looking for, it turns out all of the other elements of TAPP, advanced threat detection, the creation of weapons, hacking and even the strategic gathering of information were extra perks, it isn't the point. Star Fleet has been allowed to use the system because it allows for further infiltration of even more systems as each individual is tasked with two missions, the first is the surface mission, but the second is something that has been carefully guarded. I had found it in a few pages we had found in a raid, it was all that had survived the furnaces. It's badly damaged, but it stated that Starfleet recognized the conditions in which the individuals were kept as well as the high number of deaths and had even assisted in developing the program._

_However, the secondary mission wasn't known by anyone, and I don't even know the full details._

**_SENTINAL_ **

_Is the name of the project and under the massive notification line was just Major and then the letter G, I'm going to attempt to locate them but I have no idea what any of it means. I have informed Soval of my findings, however, he too is at a loss. I have pulled Stark out of the program, I managed to convince MIT to accept him, it cost me part of my soul, but now he's emancipated from the state and attends MIT. Starfleet is not happy, however, my argument was that his abilities were beyond TAPP and that we needed someone to help with the NX project. Soval pulled a few strings and managed to get a few Vulcans from the VSA to teach at MIT for the duration of Stark's education._

_Stark doesn't know what the project is, but I didn't press, he deserves to be free of all this. All of the lies and the pain that surrounds this, I may have murdered his family, but I am not my father, I will not torture a caged bird, he deserves to be free."_

Archer immediately looked to Malcolm and Trip, "Does Project Sentinel mean anything to you?" he asked. The pair looked at one another before the brunet replied in earnest, "I don't know, I've never heard of it." Trip shrugged in a noncommittal fashion, he couldn't blame Trip, this wasn't normal by any standard. In fact, he had never heard of half of the technology that they had been running into before them. "T'Pol, I believe it's time that the Ambassador and I had a conversation," he said after a moment. If there was anyone who knew something and wasn't saying anything it was as always Ambassador Soval. He understood the pressure put on the man to do his duty to the High Council, but this wasn't simple or related to Vulcan. At least, it didn't appear to be.

~~vOv~~

A summons, as an Ambassador it wasn't unusual for Soval to be asked to appear. Usually, he was able to evade the discomfort and confrontation when he was demanded to do so by requiring Suran to push the date back so he could investigate. This time, it wasn't possible, Gardner was sitting in the building. Soval slipped his brown robe over his shoulders, he wore the brilliant ambassadorial Vulcan orange and turned his gaze to Kuvak who was sitting in a chair near his desk his eyes had been locked on the Ambassador since Suran had announced the arrival of the Admiral. "Soval, you know that we can not protect you from treason, even if you are attempting to prevent attr acuities. I understand the importance of the case," Kuvak began only to shake his head, "You have never done anything this foolish before." Soval froze and quickly turned around, "You are mistaken," he corrected.

Kuvak arched a brow as Soval continued, "How do you think I prevented V'Las from tearing Vulcan apart?" Kuvak was still as the Ambassador collected a PADD from his desk, "I broke the laws then, and even was disgraced, yet you accepted me back," he stated. Kuvak was still, as always the man was contemplating his next action before responding, "You did a great service to Vulcan." Soval tucked the black PADD under his arm as he replied, "And I am again. Terra Prime will cause us harm." Kuvak didn't look convinced, it was odd by the one who was the most likely to listen to him wasn't. T'Pau was only concerned for her son, Sarek, who had not come to the Conciliate but chose to remain with Archer and his crew in order to aid them. "You do not have proof of such allocations, it is a Terran issue, not Vulcan," Kuvak countered, "We have no place in it." Soval's nostrils flared as he replied, "We have a place, they are not attacking humans, but other species, including Vulcans, do not tell me that V'Lor has been forgotten." Kuvak steepled his fingers before him as he tilted his head slightly, the long sleeves of his robes slipped down his arms as he did so.

"Soval, you're affection for them is blinding you, we are here because humanity had asked it of us, now they no longer desire our aid," he stated, Soval was silent as he felt a knife twist in his side, "We should have left, but instead you have decided to risk every life at this facility so you can meddle in Terran affairs and create a number of complications that can not be undone." Soval turned toward the door, he had five minutes to face Gardner, he was silent as the words of Kuvak washed over him, "Soval, please understand, we want to protect you, but we can not. I will be able to take Majors Cole and Forrest of this planet as liaisons, T'Pau owes Archer that much," he said. The silver-haired Ambassador pressed the button to release the door and whispered, "Thank you, Kuvak. Please protect them, I will not be able to."

Soval swept into the hallway, this was the last time he would be able to walk these halls with pride, he knew that. He was about to be sent home, to face trial and would most likely be executed. It was only Katharine he feared for, and Amanda by association. Archer could fight his way out, in all of the years of dealing with the captain he had long since learned that the determined starship captain could do amazing things. In fact, he had witnessed it with T'Pol and Trip had been a force of his own with Malcolm assisting. In truth, the crew of the Enterprise was strong enough to survive this on its own. Suran, he wasn't certain of, from the beginning Suran had stated he didn't care about the ramifications, all that mattered was the truth.

The silver-haired Ambassador swept down the corridor, several Aids bowed their heads to him as well as various administrators and even guests. It was as though they knew it was the end, at least, the world would in an hour when he would be forced to resign and would be shipped away. He turned the corner only to realize Kate, he was abandoning her. His hands clenched as anger seemed to caress his mind, the same flames he felt whenever she was harmed or in danger. He was going to be forced away, and he could protect her, or make her smile, or laugh, or play the violin, or listen to her fingers caress the keys of a computer keyboard. Part of his compartments wouldn't smell like the woods at twilight and Kevlar or the occasional gun oil from when she took apart her Glock. Her father had given it to her as a reminder that while phasers had plenty of ammunition it was a quality marksmen that mattered. A smile touched his lips as he remembered the first time smelling it, it didn't bring fear, but a sense of security.

Somehow the scent of wood, flowers and a touch of musk and citrus, when coupled with gun oil and Kevlar soothed him. Even when she grabbed him to calm his mind, to soothe the beast within did he realize how much he relied on her. The smell of strong espresso in the morning and a touch of chocolate at night, something far better than the wines he knew she craved but refrained from having. He knew she had some stashed and had long since allowed her to keep it by pretending he was oblivious. Kitty had always warned him that telling a woman that chocolate was banned was suicidal, at least, that was Max had said after Suran had mentioned it and been glared at by the woman.

Nick had teased him and given him the small box. He was still as he whispered, "Impossible." He knew that emotion, the one that desired to trace all of her scars and kiss them heal those in her soul. The one that made him desire to wrap his arms around her and feel the heat of her passion for life with his own hands. The one that wanted to show her that intimacy was beautiful and powerful. He hadn't felt those emotions since his late wife.

"I love her," he whispered to an empty hallway, "That is the only logical explanation."

It was why he had done all he could for her, and now he would have to leave her alone, with the notion she wasn't loved. The Ambassador slipped his hands into the sleeves of his robes and gripped his forearms. Kuvak would take Kate to Vulcan as well as Amanda and if Suran managed to get out of this, he would probably assist with them as well and try to get them citizenship. The issue was that they would never be able to return to Earth again. It was a small sacrifice to keep her safe at least in his eyes.

Soval paused outside the conference room doors only to hear the soft steps of the MACCO fall behind him. Once more the scent of the woods soothed his nerves as he opened the doors, his head held high despite the odds. "Ambassador," greeted Gardner with a smile, one that made his skin crawl, "Major." Kate stood three steps behind him, it was ironic they weren't even bonded and yet she had resumed that position. "I'm so sorry for doing things so brashly, but unfortunately, matters of planetary security aren't something to take one's time with," he said simply with an air of confidence. Soval was still as he watched Kate stand at attention, her back was stiffer than necessary, but he noticed a look of indifference on her face. Clearly spending time among Vulcans had allowed for her to hide her thoughts, something he was thankful for in that moment.

"I never got a chance to ask how you were feeling Major, I hope you're better, the Gala was wonderful," he said with ease as his eyes fell on Katharine. He watched the storm brew in those blue eyes, it was as though he could see the waves of the sea twist in the winds of the storm. "I'm alright, thank you, sir," she said firmly, her voice was as cool as steel and equally strong. Gardner nodded as he took a seat at the table, he was accompanied by two officers and Soval watched the pair, they were clearly informed of the next series of events. "It's unfortunate that I have to do this so near the holidays, but justice is best served swiftly," he stated. Soval watched him open a PADD and pull up a sheet. "I found it curious that somehow the Enterprise had managed to dock after I had given them a direct order to leave the area and even informed the dock to not allow it," he stated darkly, "Yet, the systems show that the order had been reversed." The PADD was placed on the table with evidence of the log, "I can't seem to locate the original log, in fact, it looks as though I made a mistake, but that's not the most intriguing part," he said with an air of ease.

He leaned an arm against the table and hummed as he slipped two fingers over his temple, "Do you want to know what was interesting Soval?" he asked with a grin, "I found a log stating that your personal PADD was connected to my personal terminal, and files were extracted," he began. Kate's hadn't been stable enough to remember to lock that record, and he watched her jaw clench. "Sadly I don't know which files, but it's curious because it occurred during the party, not too long before I was taking the President of PRION to look at my office," he said with an air of triumph he slipped out of his seat and proceed the stalk toward him, his eyes gleaming wildly as he did so. "You have committed what would be considered an act of war by hacking the terminal of an Admiral, too bad I know the style of hacker and had seen you there," he stated as he turned his attention to Katharine, "Major Forrest."

Soval's blood went cold, if Kate was tried for treason she would be executed, he knew that for a fact. He had a chance in court, but she wouldn't. Kate was still, he could tell she was going to lie when he shook his head, "She was too impaired to assist me, I did it myself," he stated. Her eyes widened as the Admiral crossed his arms, "Oh?" he asked with mock interest, always an actor that was one of the reasons Forrest hated the man. "Yes, leaving her in the ballroom was not logical as she could need my assistance to deal with the effects of the drug," he replied. It was simple, but the logic was sound. Gardner snorted, it was a horrible sound that reminded Soval of a boar. "I don't believe you," he stated simply as he glared at Katharine. "Major you have committed an act of treason, however, the evidence only points to the Ambassador, you will be discharged from Starfleet, your service has been influential to us," he said briskly.

Kate shot out of her chair, "What?" she roared, only to be cut off as Gardner turned to Soval. "Ambassador Soval of Vulcan, you have committed an act of war against the United Republic of Earth, as you are a diplomat and have immunity you are to be dismissed from your position here on earth and return to Vulcan, where you will be tried and convicted," he stated. Soval was still as he looked to the two men who were advancing on Kate. Their hands shot out and he watched them grab her roughly, "What the hell? Release me," she shouted as she fought their grip. The pair laughed as they began to remove her from the room. He noticed a look in Gardner's eyes, they were going to harm her, he could sense it.

"No," growled Soval. The men in the room froze and Kate fell silent, "I am still the Ambassador until I am dismissed by the Vulcan Council, she was commanded to protect the Ambassador of Vulcan, while I am here she will do so," he stated. The Admiral looked perturbed until Soval stated, "I will leave tomorrow, I must assemble the crew of the T'Mir." Gardner smiled a little, this was working his way, and it meant that Terra Prime would make a move as soon as he was off the planet. He just had to buy them enough time to find what they were searching for, any indication of what they had planned. "I can re-assign her," threatened Gardner, "But, that wouldn't look well and you are the favorite child, so you may stay until his ship leaves."

The two men released her and he stood silently watching Gardner sweep from the room. "Suran, Kuvak," he called softly. Kate was watching him silently as he quickly turned to the pair, "I warned you," said Kuvak with a trace of sadness, they both knew he was not going to survive this one. "Suran, contact the press, I have to make a statement. Kuvak, go with Suran, he has a packet for you and seek Amanda Cole, they need to be on ships to Vulcan before I leave," he whispered rapidly. Kuvak simply did as he was told, it was odd to see the minister listen to him, but he was reminded that Kuvak was anticipating this. The pair left the room in silence as Soval looked at Kate. The MACCO was stone-faced and before he could say a word he noticed T'Vok with reporters in tow. It was going to be a long afternoon.

"I've got to make a call," said Kate as she left the room, leaving him to begin packing up what was left of his reputation only to incinerate it with his announcement.

~~vOv~~

Archer and T'Pol were getting ready to depart the Ambassador's residence when there was a panicked knock at the door, the sound seemed to shake the apartment and each of the individuals looked to one another. Hoshi had returned, and with ease, the Captain pulled out a phaser. Malcolm had decided to disregard protocol and snuck a case out of the ship, at first, Archer had disagreed until he had actually begun listening to the whispers, the walls had eyes and ears now, Starfleet had turned into a dictatorship while he was away. Gardner had established himself as the most important individual of the fleet and his constant interference in every project made John nervous. While Max had always taken an active interest in the work of others he didn't presume power to lord over them, and the other Admirals didn't seem to know how to react. "Pack it up," whispered John as he watched Trip diligently begin throwing PADDs in bags and T'Pol running to assist in hiding pages. Sarek had to collected the other phaser and stood with Malcolm, "Hoshi, use the intercom," he advised as he adjusted his grip on the phaser and debated which setting to use, he didn't want to harm an ally but if it was an enemy, then he would do what he had to. Gardner was too involved with PRION and something unusual with Paxton, discomfort seemed to ride through him, those three knew something and were up to something truly dangerous, whatever it was it had to do with SENTINAL. If only he knew what the project did, then he would be able to put an end to it.

Hoshi stood before the panel and greeted, "Archer residence," it was a little warm, but he knew his communication's officer didn't want to alert the possible intruder that there were three armed individuals with phasers pointed at the door. "It's Cadet Starling, I must speak with the Captain," she said in a rush. Starling, that wasn't a name he had ever heard before, he looked to Hoshi, he watched the petite woman as she hit the switch. "Who sent you?" she asked. It was certainly a question they all had in their heads. "I can't tell you here," she said in a rush. Sarek's dark eyes were on him as he asked, "If I may?"

Archer was hesitant before nodding, so far the Vulcan hadn't done anything to cause more friction, "Ask her if she likes Russian Roulette or Black Jack," he said simply. Archer looked confused, as he glared at the Vulcan the question was ridiculous. "What's the point of that?" he snapped. The dark haired Vulcan crossed his arms behind his back before responding, "Stark." Archer whipped around to Hoshi and commanded firmly, "Do it." Hoshi nodded as she leaned closer to the communication unit and asked, "Russian Roulette or Black Jack?" the question was odd but if has what had been an indicator as to whether or not someone had communicated with Stark it was a strange one. There was a crack as a young voice chirped, "Russian Roulette, make sure you load the gun," she said quickly. The captain looked to the young Vulcan who merely nodded in affirmation, whoever the cadet was had contact with Stark or was somehow instructed to seek them out.

The door buzzed as Hoshi hit the latch and they waited, what felt like hours as a very flushed and panting Cadet stumbled into the apartment. Her hair was a mess and her cheeks were a brilliant red from the cold. Archer stared at the state of the woman, she had run there, it was strang to have heard of such a thing. Malcolm was the first to walk over to her, in a snap the brit was examining her, "Cadet, how do you know of Stark?" asked Malcolm in a rush. Starling stared in confusion. Her eyes were wide as she looked at the group, she didn't have a clue, and now Archer was concerned as he reached for the phaser he had set aside due to the code that Sarek had been convinced was an indicator that she had spoken with Stark. "I don't, at least I don't think I do. There was a messenger, he appeared in the middle of the street and delivered a package to me," she said simply, "Apparently the information he had gave him the exact time and place I would be. I didn't think it was possible since I don't even live there I was just walking through the park."

T'Pol arched a brow as she slipped into view her expression was slightly softer it was strange to see how her time with humans had taught her to be less Vulcan and understand that humans were emotional creatures. "Cadet, was it a standard Starfleet Messenger?" she asked curiously. Starling was quick to respond, "No Ma'ham, he didn't even use a standard PADD, it was an odd black one and he was dressed in a suit, it was the strangest thing," she paused as she held out the black envelope, it wasn't even normal in the slightest degree. "He had an accent too, Texan I think. It was in a larger envelope but there was a note instructing me to bring it to you, it even had your address and time to deliver," she explained as she pulled out a folded piece of paper.

Trip held out his hand for the paper and stared, "This is the penmanship of Stark, I have seen it on all his drawings, not the Commander but Doctor Stark," as he flipped the page over, it had yellowed with age. Archer glared as he looked to Sarek, "That's impossible, he had been dead for one hundred years, humans do not live that long," he stated his tone was stiff and Archer could tell the harsh phrasing was due to confusion more than irritation. He looked to Starling, again he was given another riddle, but the question burning in the back of his mind was just what was going on. The note was penned by the Doctor, this meant that what was occurring had started over a century ago. Max wasn't the start, he was the breaking point. "What the hell is going on?" he asked as he looked at the black envelope, it was a slick plastic and felt hard against his fingers. He traced the edge only to feel the lip and open it.

Archer slipped his hand inside of the envelope and pull out a swatch of fabric, which was stiff and harsh to the touch. It looked as though it was part of a military uniform, his fingers swept over the fabric as he flipped it over, sewn to the earth green fabric was a military patch. He stared at the logo and mused for a moment, it was a pyramid and the planet earth, only to look even closer. "Wait, doesn't this look familiar?" he asked as he held it out to Trip. The engineer took the swatch of fabric and examined it, his eyes sweeping over the design, "So it's a pyramid and Earth, why does it matter?" he asked. Malcolm was staring at the patch in Trip's hand and Archer replied, "What's the logo of Global Dynamics?" as he turned to Starling.

Cadet starling pulled out her PADD and quickly typed the search into the bar. Sarek drew a breath and responded, "Captain, how is this relevant?" he asked. Archer crossed his arms and said, "I have a hunch," he responded, "This entire series of events, it doesn't feel like war, but a game." There were too many moves and it felt as though there were rules to be abided by as no attacks had physically manifested aside from the bombs, the two players had limitations but to the extend he didn't know. Starling looked up from her PADD and responded, "Sir, there are two emblems," she sounded a little weary, which he didn't blame her. Archer nodded and looked to the young cadet who appeared to be more apprehensive than before, "The first, prior to Doctor Nathan Stark becoming the Head of GD, was a globe when it was under the control of Astrophysicist Warren King," she said after a pause. Warren King, he had heard that name a few times when he was around the Admiral, and now he began to wonder what had been occurring.

Her voiced washed over him as she continued, "The current emblem is a pyramid with the letters GD forming it," he knew that, he had seen it more than enough over time. It wasn't possible that Terra Prime's emblem fused the two and it didn't mean anything. "Why is it relevant?" asked T'Pol after a moment. Archer sat on the arm of one of the chairs in the room and responded, "There's no way it's a coincidence, Stark has been a family synonymous with discovery, innovation and GD. In fact the commander was the recent head of GD until it was ultimately dissolved after allegations of unmoral practices," he explained. Hoshi turned slightly as she looked at the Captain, he could tell there was something burning on her tongue, a statement of some kind. "Sir, Warren King was an Astrophysics but if I remember correctly after being fired from GD he recruited another scientist and created FSA," she began, "which later became PRION."

PRION, that name had cropped up a number of places and their association with Gardner had cemented a number of questionable instances had occurred. However, it didn't explain how the emblem directly implicated just whom the other player was. "Who else was a major player during the time Doctor Stark was the director?" he asked after a pause. There had to be another they were missing. Only for Starling to chime, "Dr. Kevin West, they were friends turned rivals during their UCLA years," she turned the PADD toward them and show them the files she had found. There were several old papers about the pair. The Captain slowly collected the PADD and began to read the articles, "They were inseparable until Stark began his own research into our Warp drive, and met a man who later became his husband," he began.

It wasn't unusual to hear of coupling between the same gender but there was something brief about the documents before him. He continued to scroll when he found an odd note about SFA and Global Dynamics doing a joint project. He quickly opened it and his eyes widened, "A neurological link was established through the use of technology that combined the complexities of an interface with the mind and a computer," he read aloud. There was a stillness in the room as Sarek asked, "This is the start of TAPP?" his voice was soft but the Captain had been around the Vulcan long enough to know it was clear indication that he was surprised.

Archer continued to read, "It is believed to be the first step in a new revolution of technology that allows for an even greater understanding of the world, it is supposed to yield an even greater advancement." An advancement that he didn't know of, but had a feeling it was this advancement that had caused all of the damage. Stark had given them both a gift and a curse. He was uncertain as to which they were dealing with. "They don't say what it is, however, it's the last article before a laboratory accident that followed eight months later," he explained. Archer opened the page and noticed it was an obituary for Kevin West. He stared at the image before him, he had dark skin, dark brown eyes, and a glowing smile.

He leaned against the table and began, "An accident had occurred on their research premise at GD, the entire wing was blown apart, which had cost the lives of five researchers and Dr. Kevin West who was trapped in the laboratory. The cause is unknown but had been speculated to be an improperly handled chemical. He left behind a wife and son, who were later taken care of by Dr. Stark when he married West's wife Allison Blake," he said after a pause. That didn't make sense, there hadn't been evidence that Stark was in the building, and it also implied that Jack had been left alone, the man who was Stark's husband since they had known one another since UCLA.

Sarek looked to Archer, "This has been going on for decades, we must speak with the Ambassador," he said quickly. They had just learned this entire game was personal. Archer nodded and said stiffly, "Agreed, T'Pol contact Ambassador Soval." There was a beat as the news feed roared through the room and he looked over to see Starling staring at the screen, "That's not possible sir, he's being sent back to Vulcan on charges of violating several laws," she said as she turned up the volume.

The anchor looked at them with a hint of sincerity as she reported, "Ambassador Soval has been rejected from the Collation of Planets on the grounds of theft of classified materials from Starfleet. He refuses to resign his post until he is taken to Vulcan and will be held before the Vulcan High Command." Archer glanced over to T'Pol, there was shock on her face, an emotion he had never seen prior to this moment, then again it was a surprise to learn that the ambassador would result to such things. "Do you think he was caught modifying the access keys so that we could dock?" asked Malcolm. Archer hung his head, they had one major card, he knew the Andorians wouldn't stick their necks out as much as Soval had. He was quiet as he watched the footage shift, yet his eyes weren't on the Ambassador, they were on Kate.

The young woman stood in dress uniform, her blue eyes staring out over the crowd, they were cold, calculated and as hard as steel. He had seen that gleam before, he had seen it after she became a Major, he had seen it every time she perched in a sniper's nest and took a shot. It was anger, determination, and loyalty to the end. Yet there was also sadness, and a touch of guilt, immediately he knew. He knew what had to have happened, they were caught trying to get Enterprise to Earth and now they would both pay dearly for doing what was right. "We need to get the information decrypted off the pyramid and get the devise to them," he said. There was the issue that they wouldn't be able to get into the consulate, there wasn't anyway that Gardner would allow them fifty yards near it, let alone to directly speak with them. T'Pol was even less likely as she was being watched carefully by Gardner.

"I can do that," said the young Cadet, he turned his eye to Starling, she stood at attention before him. He didn't know why she was even involved until she explained, "I met Major Forrest, and she was far more encouraging about my career choice than anyone else." Archer nodded as Sarek pulled out the black pyramid, "Then this is your mission," he stated. She nodded shoving it in her messenger, "Do not get caught, I can not enter the Embassy as I am to be his replacement and shouldn't even be on the planet currently," he explained. She nodded before darting out of the room. Archer watched the young woman leave and say, "Fly true, Starling."

~~vOv~~

Kate had attempted to contact Shran, only to be met with a stonewall, apparently the Admiral had also visited Ambassador Krim and managed to shift his ideals away from the Vulcans. Shran was being sent to tend to a disturbance in their fleet at the other end of the Galaxy. Gardner was breaking them up, and she knew it was to prevent them from working with one another. After the call she had changed out of her suit and opted for clothing that made her feel human as she felt the embassy shift. The embassy was solemn as they prepared for Soval's departure. He had broken the law on several levels, all because she had said it was essential. Guilt settled within her as she looked out at the pond. A pair of skin tight black jeans hugged her curves, her arms were folded across her chest as she watched the wind rippled the surface of the water, disturbing the once tranquil surface. Her blue eyes stared out at the pond, several snowflakes floated upon its surface as she slipped her arms into the thick winter kimono top. She was unwilling to look away as she felt the wind pick up once more, its freezing touch shattering what was left of the warmth from the Ambassador. Her hair had fallen from her hair sticks, Amanda had decided to do her hair in a fancy knot that was actually loose and allowed for her hair to fall freely in places. Of all the impulsive things she had done, she hadn't anticipated someone else taking the fall.

The whisper of silk filled the air as the sleeves of her kimono top swayed behind her, they were a brilliant turquoise blue with black birds in a tree that had been painted by hand. It was the last gift her father had given her before he had died. There was a thick black tassel chord wrapped around her waist twice, synching it closed. She could remember telling her father she would only wear it to special occasions. At the time she had thought it would be joyous, she was wrong. This was because she desired to not look like a MACCO, or the warrior, she desire to look like a woman. Just this once, she wanted to be seen as a beautiful creature, even if she knew that the skin under the fine silk was mangled and marred.

Slender fingers gripped her forearms, her knuckles turned white as she did so. Soval was important to her, he had taken care of her after she had been drugged, she wanted him. Katharine wanted him in every possible way but knew she could never have him. Soval was an Ambassador, and she was a MACCO. A thought flittered across her mind in that moment, "Not anymore," she whispered bleakly, she was going to be dishonorably discharged for her actions unless she signed a deal with Gardner, signing with the devil, she only hoped there wouldn't be blood involved. However, knowing Gardner the paper would be dripping in it. Tears slowly slipped from her eyes, they fell without her consent, traitors of her current state and the only sign of her distress. She just wanted to have a home, and now it felt as though she were being rejected once again.

Home.

It was an odd four letter word, it meant just as much as love.

Love.

Yet another word she was terrified of.

Katharine slowly looked up at the massive consulate, its elegant silver walls glistening in the light. The use of glass and steel that felt organic and yet so part of Vulcan ideals she wondered just how she had done it. How Soval's wife captured the essence of Vulcans, their thoughts, their emotions, their desires, in a building. It was more than a building, it was her memory, one he guarded to ensure it wouldn't be harmed. Kate knew it was most likely the only piece of his wife that remained, the only thing that would serve as evidence that she had existed.

He had been married, and had no more room in his heart for her. That tenderness, the care he had taken to ensure her safety was simply because she wasn't able to take care of herself. She knew better, she was far too damaged for anyone to desire. It ached, she truly believed she had found home, it was strange at first. She had always thought that the house her father left her was home, with all its memories, but this place.

Blue eyes fell on a pair of young Vulcan children in the garden studying the fauna. A teacher standing over them speaking softly, his tone was gentle, a subtlety she learned from working with them.

This place, she thought as she watched a pair play with a Sehlat, throwing a ball between them as the massive bear-like creature attempted to snatch it out of the air.

This place had become Home. When that had occurred she didn't know, but somehow, being with all of these wonderful people, and the Ambassador, had made her feel at home, and for the first time in a very long time, she felt as though she belonged. Now she was being forced out to be forgotten and loathed once more. Alone, that was what she was supposed to be, a chill ran up her spine at the thought of being left in a cold house. Kate hugged herself tighter as she fought the shivers, more tears falling as she felt what remained of her armor finally give way.

Once again she had lost her home and didn't think she could ever find another.

A sob left her lips as she finally felt herself crumble to her knees, a hand covering her lips in an attempt to stop any sounds from escaping. It was fruitless, she knew better, Vulcans had superior hearing. Yet, she couldn't seem to stop, she had lost everything she cared about, just because she wanted to do the right thing. "T'Sai?" asked a small voice beside her, it was soft and so quiet she had mistaken it for the breeze.

Katharine turned her head to find a pair of dark eyes watching her, he had large ears and she remembered immediately that he was one of the boys from the lesson. A blush crept up her face as she looked up to see a very concerned teacher looking down upon her. "Are you hurt?" asked the young Vulcan keenly, his tone was firm but gentle, an odd mixture that only Vulcans seemed to execute with ease. Kate swiped at her tears with the back of her hand, not caring that she was a mess and replied, "Yes," stubbornly. The boy arced a brow and responded, "Then why are you showing signs of distress?"

The MACCO froze, the kid knew she was in pain, he only wanted to help, but it seemed to make it worse. "I messed up, and now I'm going to lose everyone I love and my home," she whimpered, no longer caring what words fell from her lips. It was out now, and if Soval was being forced to leave it was pointless to hide it. "Your home?" asked the boy, he seemed more interested as Kate sniffed. She nodded glumly only for him to ask, "You have been living at the consulate, how is it your home?" he asked curiously. Kate looked up at the Vulcan teacher, there was a look of understanding and sadness in his eyes. He knew, and understood.

Kate drew a shaky breath, "Home isn't defined by windows or doors, it's about the people you're with," she began and looked to the young Vulcan to see if he understood, "A house is just a house until you put a family in it, then its home." The boy looked confused until he looked to Kate again and then the Consulate, "You like us?" he asked. Kate nodded, like was a bit weak for what she felt, but had a feeling it was all she could do. The boy shifted beside her and crossed his legs. "You love someone, you said it, who?" he asked.

Her throat was tight as she swallowed, it was pointless now, "Soval," she whispered. There was a silence over her and she bowed her head in shame, she knew better, but still loved him. He had gone out of his way Christmas Eve and bought her a violin, made sure she upheld her promise and even helped her. Fresh tears fell from her eyes and she listened to the sound of steps retreating, knowing the Vulcan would leaver her be with her wild emotions. She knew they would, it was only a matter of teaching the young man just what would be expected. Kate had never asked about their children, she had seen enough of them on the grounds. It was rare to see them laugh, and smile, they had been taught to control their emotions.

At first she had disagreed until accidentally witnessing a very violent temper tantrum, which an aide was thoroughly embarrassed about and had become very uncharacteristically apologetic. Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered what Soval had been like with his daughter when she was a child. She could imagine his tender touches and soft smiles that he claimed he never allowed, but she had caught on several occasions. She felt a painful stab in her chest as she thought about what he would be like reading to a child and tucking them in at night. She would never witness such intimacy from him.

Kate rubbed at her eyes with irritation, despising the tears that were falling without her consent. She was about to get up and walk off when she felt a large warm hand on her shoulder.

"Katharine?"

She knew that lush voice, it was like chocolate to her ears, supple, lush, dark and smooth with a feeling of euphoria upon its finish, only for her to crave more. She had heard that same voice every day and never tired of it. Yet this time, there was a hint of concern, a note that didn't belong in the voice of the confident ambassador. "Kate?" he asked as he slowly knelt beside her, his hand never leaving her shoulder as he did so. His palms were enormous compared to hers, her heart broke, even more, knowing that his hands would never willingly touch her.

She slowly lifted her gaze, his expression was one of great concern and confusion. She knew she didn't look as gorgeous as most women but didn't believe she looked horrible enough to merit his concern. It wasn't like she had been shot, even though it felt like it. "I'm fine," she rasped, her voice was broken and she mentally berated herself for it doing such. His gaze narrowed on her as he replied, "You are not," it was a statement, never a question. As always he was certain of the facts whenever it pertained to her, or at least, it had felt that way. She slowly pulled away and responded, "Not now, but I will be." Kate knew that was a lie, after this she wouldn't be and the chance of her being the reason he was executed for treason was higher than she wanted to admit. Knowing Gardner he would force her to watch. A shiver ran through her as she contemplated the act, she didn't think she could survive torment like that.

Something soft wrapped around her, it was supple but oddly heavy. Kate was snapped from her musing as she looked at the Ambassador once more. He had removed his heavy outer robe in favor of draping it over her. "Please…" she began as more tears fell, she hadn't cried this much in years, "Please don't do this," she nearly begged. All of his kindness was wasted on someone who would never be worthy. A fine dark brow arced as his eyes held a spark of confusion, and a hint of pain. "To what are you referring?" he asked immediately, his tone was flat but she could see it in his eyes that the question meant the world to him. Kate slowly began slipping the robe off of her form and replied, "This, you being kind to me. It's pointless." She managed to keep a straight tone as though she were simply talking about purchasing a new PADD. If only he realized how much her heart was breaking.

His brows flew up into his hairline as the Ambassador blinked owlishly, "How is it pointless?" he asked quickly, she could hear the irritation, confusion, pain and intrigue wrapped in his voice. She was about to slip her arm out of the sleeve when his hand flew up and adjusted the robe so it remained on her. Kate was going to struggle only for him to place his hands on her shoulders, effectively pinning her in place. It was odd, Vulcans weren't comfortable with physical contact and yet he was using it with her. "Because, I'm damaged goods Soval, I'm about to be dishonorably discharged, I was beaten, raped, forgotten and disowned by my own mother. What's the point of showing something that's unwanted, kindness?" she snarled, "It only makes having to leave home hurt even more."

Kate paused, she had just called the Consulate home, while she had been doing so for a while, to hear it in the open terrified her. Instantly she was averting her gaze, not wanting to meet his in fear that he would disapprove. She had just admitted she found home with a group of Vulcans, while it was odd for a terran she didn't believe it to be impossible. A pair of strong and calloused fingers slipped under her chin, his touch was light but the heat emanating from him enveloped the very fibers of her soul. "Kate," he breathed, "I am pleased to hear this," he stated. She stared her lips parting as a question died on her lips. He was pleased that she had found a home with them, he had admitted to possessing an emotion, which while unusual she knew to not be impossible.

Soval shifted slightly, he wasn't the Ambassador, this Vulcan before her was Soval, the same one she had seen admire the Aurora Borealis and catch her before she fell on the ice. His eyes seemed to glow slightly and his silver hair was even more prominent against his olive tone skin. "You are worthy of affection," he stated, "You are more than worthy Katharine." The way her name fell from his lips made her tingle and suddenly a small bloom of hope seemed to open in her chest, if there was some way he could love her, even if it was only as a pseudo daughter, she would accept it. Kate shook her head at the thought, only to become distracted by a pair of fingers slipping a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes you are," he stated, "You always have been and if I had known any of those things had occurred I would have come back here. I waited by the comm. unit for years for your call, just so I could be sure you were safe." Kate was silent as she watched him look out at the pond, he was actually telling her about his feelings, it was a little terrifying for him to allow her in, but at the same time she had been craving it for a long time.

He closed his eyes as he continued, "When I saw you on that motorcycle, and learned your father had tasked you with protecting me, I was furious. I never wanted you in danger, never in a position where you could end up in pain. It was why I had tried to send you away, only your father's letter convinced me not to. So I, as you would say, put up with you." His profile was calm, as though he was telling her about the wind and rain in a storm or the red sands of Vulcan, not his own emotions. "Over time, I began to respect you, it was after the hotel incident that I had truly seen your skill and value, or at least I thought I did," he paused as he looked at her, his eyes falling on hers as he said softly, "I was wrong." There was a pause as a small smile curled his lips, "I was so very wrong, I thought I knew everything about you, and then there was that kiss," he stated.

The kiss, she could feel her fingers ache for the contact, that tingle that had curled her toes and warmed her belly. Something that was far more intoxicating than any human kiss she had, and wondered if his lips and tongue were just as exhilarating. "I had pulled away from you because I was afraid of what I would do, only to accidently see your scars later. I had sought you out for towels to take a hot shower in order to prevent hypothermia. You had left the door ajar and as I went to open it completely I had seen you with your scars," he paused as he slowly slipped his hand over her wrist, his fingers resting on the tender skin just under it. He could probably feel her racing pulse and the wave of fear and disgust that he had seen them. "I was angry, angry that someone had hurt you, but even more so at myself for not protecting you and for you believing that you weren't beautiful," he stated firmly, "I had broken a vase in anger that night after throwing it against a wall," he explained.

Kate's eyes widened as she stared at him, he had never shown such emotion in depth prior to hearing of this incident. Of course he had gripped he tightly leaving bruises and then there was the flurry of emotions after finding out she was drugged, but never so violent. He drew a breath before saying, "You are worthy Kate."

Something inside her surged and before she was even aware of what she was doing her fingers were running over his, her movements were swift as she lunged forward and pressed her lips to his. Soval's lips were softer than she thought they would be while they weren't moist, she could feel his body heat spreading through them. Only, she knew this was the end as his lips were stiff, and she began to realize he was only trying to be a friend.

There was a jolt as she felt a hand slip up the side of her face and he returned it, his mouth opening as his tongue darted out. It was soft and slightly coarse but not unwelcome as she felt it sweep over her lips. His other hand was sliding up her side, tracing her curves under the robe and kimono top, with each sweep he left a trail of goose bumps and tingling in their wake. Her eyes were closed as his mind seemed to still, all of her fears had faded as she felt his tongue sweep over her lips, asking permission to deepen the kiss.

Her body took over as her lips parted allowing him entrance, he was assertive, demanding, and skilled as his tongue teased hers. She had expected nothing less from him after witnessing his silver tongue at work time and time again. She moaned as his tongue stroked hers, and he pressed even further into the kiss. His scent wrapped around her, caressing her in ways she never dreamed, and awakening something she had believed she was incapable of feeling. Soval always smelt of the desert moon, incense and the exotic teas he often drank. When this was combined with his taste her world spun, he tasted divine, it was a combination of his favorite Vulcan spice tea and something she could distinctly label as Soval. She slowly slipped her own tongue into his mouth, exploring the hot and wet cavern, mapping it as she enjoyed his attention. Every sweep, every whimper and every caressed between their tongues was more than enough to send her spiraling.

Large palms ran over her skin, abandoning her fingers in favor of sweeping over his robes and sliding up her neck. Shivers spread through her with pleasure as she moaned, his name falling from her lips like a plea. His fingers traced circles int the back of her neck, it was teasing but made her quiver with desire. It was then she realized he was kissing her in every way he knew, she was quick to run her hands over his back and grip at his black and gold tunic. His powerful muscles tensed under her fingers and she could feel them flex as he moved to hold her even closer. It was as though he desired to crawl inside her and never return.

She felt her hair fall and the distinct sound of hair sticks hitting the wooden bridge echoed in her ears. Her hair fell over her shoulders and she felt him run his fingers through it, and eventually tangling them in her mien. Something white hot, like a flame burned in her belly as she sipped her fingers over his neck and through his silky silver hair, admiring the texture against her fingers. The heat spread as she pressed herself into him, his hard chest against her soft form, powerful arms holding her close and protecting her from the world.

Lips, teeth and tongue, all things she had never anticipated he would use, but suddenly the only thing in her world. He had stolen her breath from her lungs along with a piece of her soul and with reluctance, she pulled away. Her lungs struggled to fill with air as the most primitive side of her begged to lunge at him once more. Kate took a moment to look at him and admire her work. His cheeks and ears were flushed a slightly green, it wasn't the same as when they had been in the ice and snow, it was slightly different knowing she had been the cause. His tunic was wrinkled from her hands mapping the planes of his back. A pair of hazel eyes fell on her, they were filled with a fire that she was certain would melt her, it made her bite her lip. Her eyes fell on his once perfectly styled hair, it was now ruffled after she had run her fingers through it. She smirked a little at that, only to finally look at his lips, they were moist and slightly swollen, all thanks to her.

Kate leaned her forehead against his, her eyes were closed as she reveled in the moment. His hands didn't leave her, one of them rested on her neck while the other had settled for sweeping tears away from her face with his thumb. "Wow," she whispered, "That was," she was at a loss for words, he had just managed to show her everything he felt, or at least she thought he had. "Indeed," he whispered with a smile, she could hear it in his voice and hummed with delight, she had put it there. "Did you?" she began and fell silent, her eyes slowly opening as she did so and she pulled back to look at him. Soval nodded and explained, "Vulcans have superior hearing." Kate smiled nervously as she said, "It's rude to eavesdrop," her tone was light and teasing as she did so which had earned a look of amusement from him.

He replied simply, "It is not when a young Vulcan reports it to me and tells me that you are in pain." She stared at him, "He snitched?" she asked in disbelief. Soval smirked slightly and nodded, "In this case, the results outweigh the action do they not?" he asked. Kate nodded stiffly before adding, "I suppose, I should say it to you though, so you didn't have to hear it from a kid," she drew a deep breath. In reality she didn't need to muster any courage, she had just poured her soul into him and all her passion along with it, but she had to say those three words, even if they scared her, because for once, just this once, they were being returned to her.

"I love you, Soval," she said tenderly.

The Vulcan nodded as he replied, "As do I."

The pair drifted apart, it was then she remembered that Vulcans were against displays of affection. With hesitation she looked up to meet the gaze of their teacher, yet found not a trace of ire, but happiness. He was satisfied, the boy was smiling slightly as he said, "She is happy, the sad one is happy." Kate blinked, sad one, it was then she realized it was probably the name all of the children gave her, it wasn't a rude one but she had a feeling it was because she didn't smile. If only they were old enough to realize just what kind of sadness she had harbored in her life.

Soval was going to be forced to leave due to her actions. Kate mentally shook herself and realized that if she savored the moment, she would be able to hold onto the small sliver of affection he had for her for a lifetime if she had to. It would still be painful when she realized that she had lost her chance to return his affections and be with another, but it would also be a balm to soothe her soul.

~~vOv~~

Ashan was quick to slip through the hallways, her feet carrying her on the mission Stark had sent her on. While she was terrified of just what was occurring, she had a feeling she was contributing to it through her research into how Vulcan minds worked. She could remember the fear the boy had felt as he slipped away, the pain that he was being ripped from those he loved. He didn't know what had occurred to him before that, but felt the urge to seek the answers, he was holding a key and she had to know what it was. If she could figure out what they needed him for then she would be able to save Stark as well as the Vulcan that was trapped on the base. She was guilty for trying to hide, to run away because she was hurt and they had threatened her. She knew it had been wrong to search for an exit only for herself. Now she was going to help him, she had to in order to correct all of the wrongs she had done.

She swept through the hallways to the laboratory passivity she had been using, she had known that it was unusual to have an advanced facility on the moon. The only reason was to hide whatever they were working on. She stood before the dingy silver doors and quickly swiped her access key, not even flinching as the doors opened. The records would be in the database, she knew that much. She just had to find them.

Ashan was quick to sit-down and quickly began to search for even a hint of what had occurred to V'Lor. Her fingers swept over the well-worn keys, her mind returned to the Commander. He had been adamant that she determine just what they were doing with a Vulcan. She had heard they were attempting to prove once and for all that the two couldn't exist in unity, but if Stark believed it was possible for them to do something worse to the Vulcan she began to wonder just why they would subject a telepath to something so violent. She had seen the damage TAPP did to the human mind, and while Vulcans were resilient and could repair their brains through a healing trance she wasn't sure what they would do when over stimulated.

Dark eyes skimmed the documents looking for a hint at anything that could guide her, there was a massive amount of data on the drives, and she didn't know where to look. Part of her wondered why Stark wasn't searching from inside TAPP, only to realize he had probably begun to but wasn't able to access other drives. She was about to skip when she noticed a name appear that didn't belong in the equation at all. "Admiral Forrest?" she asked as she opened the document, his name was in one of the lines and she knew he wasn't part of this group. If he had been it would taint her view of him forever, he was Starfleet's beacon in the dark, even if he was gone his memory provided them with fuel to reach further and higher than ever before.

She had read through the headers and noticed several redacted lines, "What?" she asked as she looked at the side of the document, there was a Starfleet code on the side for documentation as well as a series of 13 numbers with a pyramid next to it. "Starfleet and GD?" she asked as she continued to scroll, immediately she knew this wasn't a document that had been created by Terra Prime but stolen from a data base.

_"A memory lattice that was unregistered in the databases as officially belonging to Global Dynamics Research Facilities was believed to have been stolen from its location in Oregon and delivered to San Francisco through Sausalito by a messenger. The drive's contents are believed to be the package, Sentinel. The Admiral, as well as Ambassador Soval, are responsible for the destruction of 123 Terra Prime Facilities, all of which were attempting to locate the package._

_"According to Cadet Theban Gardner, the package is in the lattice that was unauthorized to leave section 22 vault 13, several guards were shot in the process of the collection and the authorization granted to the messenger was not official. There is a chance of information being leaked, as Admiral Forrest had been noted to threatening to release the contents of the journal in his possession in order to have Starfleet charged with atrocities."_

Ashan stared at the extensive redactions and at what little she could learn from the file that had been stolen. They were searching for a package, she didn't have an idea what a memory lattice was or what it had to do with TAPP, but something told her it was important. She adjusted her search thanks to this information and began to wonder where the journal was and if it held more information than they realized. If the Admiral did have a journal and it contained information on TAPP and the missions to raid facilities as well as other atrocities, it was a loaded gun. She could only wonder when it would be used. She skimmed again only to notice a file that was similar to the first. This time, it was a list of names.

_"Dr. Nathan Stark, Ph.D., Ph.D., Ph.D._

_Dr. Allison Blake, M.D._

_Dr. Kevin West, Ph.D."_

She stared at the names, immediately she knew one of those individuals was currently hooked up to TAPP, but she didn't know anything about the other two. It was odd, they were associated with revolutionary technology such as TAPP and yet she had never heard of them. Then again she only had heard of the elder Stark because he was one of the Father's of Warp Theory. It was then she realized just how long this hunt had been going on, if it had started as a result of three people that had been gone for nearly a century, then she wasn't looking far enough back. Whatever it was that this group had done, it had sparked a conflict that wasn't likely to end well. The Commander had stated he believed that the young Vulcan was being used like a faster processor, if that was the case than the Vulcan on the base could also be in danger.

With ease the chair slid back and she was on her way out of the lab and decided to search for the Vulcan, the copper supplements were a dead giveaway that they had on alive and onboard. Her heart was pounding as she began to walk through the hallways, she didn't have total access to the base, she knew she wouldn't but the issue was that if she didn't reach him in time she wouldn't be able to tell Stark what was going on. V'Lor had been muttering about Sentinal, she didn't have a clue what it meant but knew better than to use the search engine to seek information on it.

She had been trapped on the lunar base for over a year, and knew full well, that who ever was searching had been patient, to search for a century for something and never find it, that was something she didn't expect. Ashan turned the corner and noticed she was in an area she didn't usually have access to. It was different, the lights were dimmer, and she noticed that it was sterile, not a trace of dirt, which was odd. They were on a lunar base masquerading as a mining operation, she knew that much. The absence of dirt made her wonder why a clean environment had been set up on board. Ashan's hands shook and she was about to walk away when she remembered Stark, his strength and vivid green eyes asking this of her. She sighed as she pursed her lips, she had kept her head down, done what she had to survive, and knew her father would have been disappointed. Stark had asked for her help to not save his life, but another. Ashan slipped her hands into her dark pants and slowly fished out a master pass key, it was only intended for emergency personnel, but, in this case, she knew she had to break the rules. The chance of her being shot were high, she knew they would execute her if given the chance, and yet, whatever was going on it was worth more than her life.

Ashan quickly swiped the card and the lock hissed as it opened. Just beyond the door was a row of clean suites, her eyes narrowed, there were a few reasons for them to be lined up, but none of them were something she wanted to think about. Ashan shrugged on one of the sterile white suites and slipped a mask over her face. The room it's self smelled of harsh chemicals and the lights glowed blue, an indication that the room was designed to kill bacteria in ever spectrum. Whoever had constructed the room knew what was necessary. Ashan slipped through the second set of doors, her shoes seemed to echo in the space as she noticed it was empty. Desks were covered in PADDs, there were monitors covered in information some of it was random, proteins, acids, development hormones, it confused her, she was searching for a Vulcan and they had abducted V'Lor, why they would need such information confused her.

The doctor proceeded to glance around the room only to freeze at the sight before her, "No," she whispered as she walked up to a long silver tube, it had white windows and she noticed several readings on the side. With caution she stepped around to the side, only for her worst fear to come true. Floating in a clear gel was a small humanoid, it was nearly developed and had been suspended from an artificial umbilical cord. "A baby," she whispered as he eyes widened, the child was a girl and had light brown hair, small fingers and toes. It appeared human until her eyes fell on the child's ears, "A Vulcan," she breathed as she looked at the child, they didn't bother abducting a child they had grown one. Ashan had become so enveloped in her musings she failed to see the doors open and noticed a nurse enter. She was carrying a blanket, and Ashan jumped. "What are you doing here?" she asked in a rush, her words ran into one another.

Ashan stared at the woman before her, she was dressed in her scrubs and while she appeared to belong Ashan had a feeling that like her she was going to do something risky as well. "What about you?" she asked hesitatingly, she would have to construct an answer to satisfy the nurse based on her reasons. She didn't have an order and she couldn't afford to be caught or the guards would beat her again. It wouldn't be the first time they had done so, but she had zero interest in being subjected to such treatment again if it could be avoided. "You're not allowed in here," stated the nurse firmly. Apparently the woman had permission, this wasn't the first time Ashan had been caught in a place she shouldn't have been. "I'm a doctor, I was asked to check his copper levels after the recent rounds of supplements had been administered," she stated, "I am fully trained and had worked on Vulcan." Her credentials would be enough to justify herself to the nurse, but she would certainly have to find a way for her to stay silent about the incident.

The blonde crossed her arms, her hair was an array and she noticed a nervous twitch in her fingers. Her stance was off, "What are you doing here?" she asked, her tone was firm and left no room for further questioning from the nurse before her. As a student, she had learned that many nurses looked down on cadets with medical training at Starfleet. She was a doctor and had been long before she joined the fleet. Her entire life revolved around treating the sick and preventing suffering. "I," she paused and was about to leave when Ashan noticed her pick up a vial that had been on the table. "I forgot something, I am scheduled to go and see my niece she has a baby, a little girl," she babbled senselessly. Ashan's eyes narrowed as she watched the woman glance sadly to the child in the artificial womb.

She was lying, Ashan watched her glance to the left, her expression gave her away. "No, you're not," she stated, "You are going to steal that sample." The nurse was about to run when Ashan sprinted across the room and grabbed the woman's arm roughly. "Don't, listen if you do so you will be killed, wait until the child is born. Too soon and they will just destroy it and create another," she advised. Soon enough the child would be extracted from the womb, it was several days away, she knew it from looking at the child, its development had progressed further than she had anticipated. The nurse was confused, as her brown eyes narrowed and she glared at Ashan, "What are you playing at?" she whispered.

The doctor saw no point in lying as she replied, "We are on the same team, there is more to this, don't do it yet. If you do, I won't be able to help him figure out the endgame." It was the truth, if the baby was revealed it would destroy her hopes of determining what was occurring and since the visit of Minister Kuvak to address up and coming issues pertaining to the Collation, she knew Terra Prime was waiting for something. "Who?" she asked, the nurse jarred Ashan from her mind as she looked to her once more. "Commander Nathanial Stark, the designer of the Enterprise," she stated firmly. The nurse was silent as she held the vial in her hands and tipped it to Ashan's chest. The doctor buried her hands in her long white coat. "Who?" she asked, disbelief coloring her tone.

Ashan sighed as she replied, "You heard me, he's here and working on figuring out what is going on, he can't do that if you force them to accelerate their plan." The nurse looked to the vial and then the child. Of course, the nurse was concerned about the child. Ashan was to a certain extent, but if there was something far more dangerous going on, and the possibility of the Vulcan landing in TAPP, then she knew that it wasn't the largest concern. The largest concern was discovering what they were searching for and seeing if they could locate it first. It was a long shot, but if they could get to it first then they could stop them. "Fine, but after a week the child has been born, I will deliver the DNA to it's parents," she stated. Ashan paused, the nurse knew the identity of the Vulcan's parents. Her eyes narrowed, a silent demand for more information.

The nurse cringed as she replied, "Commander T'Pol and Commander Tucker," she whispered. Ashan stared in disbelief, now she had heard it all, they had combined the DNA of a human with a Vulcan. She didn't know why she would have to locate the files on V'Lor to understand. However, the fact that he had also used two officers of the Enterprise also got her attention. Their DNA wasn't easy to get, someone had to have stolen it.

"Go, leave the sample," Ashan commanded, the nurse would have to leave while she searched for the information on V'Lor. The woman stared before hustling away, at least, she had something of an ally or interested party. The doctor sighed as she began to message her neck, she could feel the tension in it. If it had been an actual nurse for Terra Prime she would have been shot. "I need to get on the team," she whispered as she looked up at the blue security strip. She shivered, through that strip the security teams could find her, the audio to the room had been dismantled, or so she had heard tech complain about. Millions of eyes could be watching her and it felt as though they were if security was going to catch her they would have burst through the doors. She quickly began to head to the door, on her way out she had failed to notice the strip flicker.


	20. Silence Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cards have fallen, it is now their decision as to how they will play each one. Soval and Katharine give into desire and decide to make what could be their only chance matter. All the while the mystery begins to slowly unravel as Starling runs into an all too familiar figure, one that is well known for running the black market but has a connection unlike anyone else to the Starks. Shran has made a decision of his own, not trusting his or anyone else's ability to get both women off the planet he seeks out the only person he knows will be able to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains sexually explicit material, a beautiful Lemon with Soval and Katharine. I didn't want to write what most people consider Vulcan sex as he is not in Pon Farr, so it's a bit more gentle. I hope you guys enjoy it, don't worry he will have his time but not quite yet. This is hurt-comfort and there is nothing worse than a connection being denied.

**Chapter Twenty: Silence before the Storm**

Time, it is uncertain the amount that we have before the rest of the world intervenes. In those moments of peace before the rest of the world shreds, this joy is all that some have. A minuscule amount of joy and light in the darkest of places, and somehow this sliver of light can warm the soul for years to come. The warmth that comes from the knowledge of being loved for even the briefest moment can make the difference. With each breath, a part of the soul is revived to fight for one more day, as the promise of tomorrow isn’t definite. Tomorrow he would be gone and she would be left on Earth, but now, in that moment, he didn't go. He was before her, his fingers entwined with hers, his heavy outer robe wrapped around her form surrounding her with the scent of incents, tea and what she had come to think of as distinctly him. Usually, she would fight, she would battle every single adversary and even her friends if need be, yet in this moment, she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to fight anymore, she wanted to surrender and love this brilliant man and love him with her entire being.

With each step she fell beside him, the tingling from his fingers gripping hers increased, and the fluttering of excitement in her chest was even more noticeable. The pair climbed the stairs, each step leading to the one place she had believed months ago she would never go near or want to. Yet, now all she wanted was to feel him, to memorize every part of his face and hold onto him for as long as she could. The walls were uninteresting to her, all of the unique artwork and the exhibits of Vulcan pottery had been shoved away as he led her to his room. She stared at the massive bed, it was light out and now she could see the brilliant red sheets with black details, he had selected earth tones for all of the pillows and the bed itself was enormous. Nervousness filled her as she realized that he was about to see every imperfection, every last scar, it wasn’t so much him abandoning her as it was that he might feel differently about her. She didn’t want to be broken, she wanted to be whole.

A pair of large hands slipped away from hers and she was quickly pulled out of her thoughts of doubt as those same strong hands that had carried her when injured and protected her from pain held her face. A pair of dark eyes met hers, they weren’t black but filled with shades of chocolate brown. “Katharine,” he breathed, as though her name was worth the universe. His thumbs swept over her cheeks as he continued, “Breathe.” It was a simple suggestion, she hadn’t realized she was nearly in a panic until he had instructed her to do the most natural thing in the world. She closed her eyes for a moment and drew a breath, “Slowly, allow it to fill you,” he instructed softly, his tone was tender and held a slight rasp. Her lips parted as she blew the breath out, a whoosh leaving her lungs, taking the tension with it.

His warmth seeped through her skin as she felt him move closer, his lips hovering just above her ear, she could hear his breathing and smell the spiciness of his afternoon tea. “Again,” he whispered. Fingertips swept over her face, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. Her head spun slightly as they slipped over her jaw, their touch as light as a butterfly’s wings, and the tingling hadn’t left. She could feel it in her mind, a slight pull toward him, a warmth that she knew wasn’t her own. He didn’t speak as his fingers slipped down the pale column of her neck, her pulse fluttering against his sensitive fingertips. “Open your eyes,” he instructed, his tone supple and welcoming. Kate obeyed without question as she found herself staring into his eyes again, “You have power here, I will not go further than you desire,” he stated. He meant it, he hadn’t lied to her and wouldn’t about this she knew it.

Kate felt brave as she realized this man was going to allow her to do as she pleased, which in her case was to surrender. She nuzzled into his hand, reveling in the feeling of his fingertips against her body, “Show me,” she began as she licked her lips, her tongue slowly dragging across the bottom one before she continued, “Show me how to love.” Distantly she acknowledged the line was ridiculous, but the truth was she didn’t know how to love someone anymore. She did once, but couldn’t find a way to allow herself to love as freely as others did. He was a Vulcan, yet she knew that there had to be more to a marriage than logic. He had been married once, and she wondered what it was like to be in his arms if she would feel just as safe in them then as she had before.

Soval’s lips curled slightly as he asked, “As a human or a Vulcan?” It was a question she could tell that had been plaguing him, even if he was smiling. Kate shook her head as she slipped her fingers around the palm that rested against her skin, her fingers trailing but the backs of his fingers. “As Soval,” she responded, “I want you.” His fingers slipped over her shoulder and she shivered as she felt them slip over her silk top and under his outer robe, “Then you shall have me,” he whispered, his voice echoing in her ears as he did so only to further excite the flame that had been sparked in the garden. Katharine’s lips pressed against his once again, they were hot and far more insistent this time, it was as though she had kindled something in his soul. His tongue tangled with hers as his hands slipped the long and heavy outer robe off her form, it whispered as it fell to the floor, landing in a puddle on her feet. Yet she couldn’t find it in herself to care as his hands skimmed over her curves as though he was committing them to memory. They slipped over her bust, down her abdomen, around her hips and over her back, it was as though he was everywhere as his lips swept over hers.

Kate fell back on her instincts as she began to untie his belt and proceeded to open the clasps, the fabric was softer than her own kimono, it was an exotic feeling as it slipped through her fingers silently. With each clasp excitement seemed to bubble at the prospect of finally seeing what the Soval had been hiding beneath his long and extravagant robes. Suran had told her that Soval was a Master of the Lirpa, and now she was going to see that, she smiled against his lips as she felt his deft fingers untie the black cord that cinched her top closed, she felt the fabric stay open, it was cool against her skin, causing her to shiver. Olive toned hands came to a pause as he pulled away, his eyes boring into hers, silently asking for permission to proceed. He meant every word and she knew she could trust him. Kate’s hand slipped up his neck, her fingers pushing the stiff collar of his shirt away in favor of tracing the muscles of his neck. He trembled under her touch, his lips parted, and eyes dilated to the point they looked black. The green tint of his skin was more prominent than before, and she could feel his pulse thundering under her fingertips as she cupped his jaw. “I trust you,” she breathed.

Broad warm palms swept over her shoulders, slipping the silk top from them in their wake. Her mind flew back to the moment he had dressed her in his room only a night ago. The same electricity surged through her as he continued to undress her, his head dipped, but rather than battling with his control he grazed his teeth against her shoulder before pressing a kiss to it. She whimpered at the sensation of him hovering so closer to her, he was taunting her as he took in her scent, his hot breath cascading over her body only adding to the ever mounting tension coiling in her stomach and the heat pooling between her legs. The kimono joined his robe on the floor, leaving her standing in a bra and her slick leather pants.

Confidence slowly returned to the MACCO as she leaned forward to trace one of his delicately pointed ears with her tongue. He stiffened immediately as she enjoyed the taste of his salty skin against her tongue, they were softer than they looked and she chuckled a little as she watched an emerald green hue appear on the very tips of them before she nipped at it playfully. Kate shivered as he growled, the sound reverberating in his chest and filling her, it was primitive and powerful, something she knew under normal circumstances would never have been permitted. “Katharine,” he warned as she pressed a kiss just bellow his earlobe, she knew his hands were beyond sensitive but reveled in the fact that his ears were as well. “Breathe,” she whispered, reiterating his own advice, which earned her a chuckle. The sound made her smile with delight, it was airy and light, she had heard Vulcan children laugh but had no idea that his would remind her both of the winds in the desert and the rumble of a mountain, it was a sound she found herself desiring to hear again.

Soval’s hands slipped over her ribs, she could feel them caressing the areas she knew there were scars. She was still as he went to reach her back, her eyes closed as she prayed he would be true to his word. “Release me,” he commanded, his tone was filled with something she didn’t recognize, it wasn’t an order but she could tell it certainly wasn’t a request. Kate dropped her arms immediately and was about to retreat when she watched his gaze shift over her. His hands found the clasp of her bra and without instruction she felt the pressure from the garment be released as he slipped it down her arms and allowed it to join the ever growing pile at their feet. “Don’t move,” he instructed, his voice was deeper than before and rough with obvious lust. Kate’s eyes fluttered closed as she felt him move, his warmth slowly moving away from her, stealing her capacity to breathe along with it. As he stepped back the fear of rejection enveloped her, only for him to say, “Don’t close your eyes, I want to see all of you.” Her blue orbs snapped open as she felt his hands pull away, she had no idea what he was going to do but nodded.

Her gaze fell on his face, his features were no longer showed in the mask of indifference he wore with diplomats, she noticed not only lust had clouded his dark eyes, but also desire and affection. She shivers, his gaze was intense, she had seen it make individuals cower, humans scurry and even the Andorians take a step back. However, to be at the receiving end of such a gaze, one that was calculated but full of pure and primitive desire when coupled with affection scared her. He really wanted her, “I want to see you,” he breathed, his fingers ghosting down her arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. His hands which she had always considered harsh and stern were softer than she realized as his fingers slowly curled around her wrist, he gently guided her hand to his lips.

Kate felt her heart pound as her lips parted, “I want to feel you,” he said simply as he brought her hand closer to his lips. She was frozen under his gaze, dark eyes boring into her very soul as his lips ghosted over the back of her hand, “I want to taste you in every way I know,” he said softly, he was just a hair away from her skin, his warm breath fanning over it causing her to moan, she didn’t think Vulcans were into seduction, apparently she was so very wrong. “I want to memorize your scent,” he lifted her wrist to his nose as she watched his nostrils flare, his eyes never leaving her as he did so, “To commit every curve to memory and trace every scar with fingers and lips,” his voice rolled over her in waves. Her head spun as he pressed a kiss to her fingertips, his fingers leaving a fire burning under her skin in his wake.

 She licked her lips, “Breathe,” he instructed, it was only then she realized that she had been holding her breath. She swallowed nervously, it had been a game before but now it was different, there was sincerity in his eyes, a seriousness she hadn’t seen before, and a flicker of something else, something that was beyond affection. She had only seen something similar between married Vulcan couples. Kate drew another breath, his lips pressed to her wrist, just above the vein. “I will not do anything you will not allow, but I ask that you allow me to see you. All of you,” he continued. She was silent as he pulled back slowly, allowing her room to push him away, or escape. Kate stood firm, she could choose, he wouldn’t hurt her. She had seen his anger for her safety and desire protect her, it was now she realized he had fallen for her long before they even realized they were even falling.

Kate nodded in response to he requires, words no longer were viable for such things as her tongue apparently forgot how to move to form them.

Soval’s eyes held fire as she did so, she could tell this was not something he would take lightly as his eyes fell on her form, she felt his fingers make contact with her skin, this time, she jumped as he slowly traced the deepest and ugliest of her scars. It spanned from just below her breast to across her abdomen and dipped just beyond her hip. She shivered instinctively, her body tensing from the horrible memory that has haunted her in sleep, one he had seen with her. The rational part of her mind was instructing her to relax, yet her body refused to listen as she grits her teeth. She stared at him as he reverently traced the marred flesh, a memory of pain and terror, his touch was slow, methodical and she drew a shuddering breath as she watched his gaze fall on her skin, his fingers gliding just a few painful centimeters above her naval.

Without warning he fell to his knees, confusion flooded her as she watched one of the most powerful men kneel before her. His silver hair contrasting against his ears brilliantly as his dark olive fingers glowed against her pale skin, she didn’t show her body because of the scars. She was terrified she would be rejected and yet, here was the most difficult man she had ever met tracing them with awe. Tension fell from his shoulders as she felt the delicious tingling that was beginning to drive her insane with need, his attention was entirely on her, which only made the hot coil in her core tighten even more. A gasp tumbled from her lips as his lips hovered above the skin, his warm breath tickling her overheated and sensitive skin. In the daylight, she could see every detail of him, the ways his muscles flexed, the wrinkles of his face, and the many different highlights of his silver hair. His head dipped to her abdomen just above her naval, soft lips met her skin and she trembled as he swept his tongue over the mark before pulling back slightly, it was then she understood what he was doing as his fingers began tracing other scars. He was kissing them in every way he knew how, and the slow burning she had felt before spread and she could feel her body tremble in the realization that he was going to attempt to heal the deepest of wounds.

The nervousness began to fade slowly as she relaxed under his touch, he didn’t want to harm her, he was going to do as he asked, and all but pleaded, commit her to memory. He rose to his feet once again and whispered, “Turn around,” the words floated around her like smoke as she did so. It was natural to move as he asked, to flow with him and fall into place. His fingers swept through long blonde hair as he gathered it up, a purr emanated from his chest as he did so, making her smile a little. Kate wasn’t blind he always seemed to like her hair, and now to hear make such a sound was enough to bring such a smile to her lips. His fingers coiled in it before finally slipping it over her shoulder, he purposely touched every inch of skin he could, his physical contact never wavering. His touch landing on the scars and a fresh wave of memories assaulted her.

Kate was stock still as she battled for a moment, she could remember what it was like being tied to a table and beaten, it was one of the reasons she was very good at protecting her back after all she had failed to do so once. She could feel the crack of the whip, and the vicious bite of the knife. Her wrists were screaming and her head spun, panic flooded her as her breathing grew labored it was as though someone was crushing her throat. She was trapped again in that room, being beaten and forced. The scent of sex curling around her and the stench of liquor as well as iron from her own blood and semen that never faded from her mind, she was drowning. She wanted to run, she couldn’t allow herself to get hurt she had been in pain.

“Breathe, Katharine,” rang a familiar and deep voice, his lips in her ear as he did so.

“Breathe,” it commanded, “Open your eyes, look at me.”

Kate’s eyes flew open as she turned her head slightly, staring at her was the tender gaze of a man who was entirely disarmed. His fingers stroking long blonde hair, dark eyes filled with affection, and a soft smile on his lips. She could see his emerald flush across his skin, it swept down his neck and up to the very tips of his ears. “Look at me,” he said gently, his tone spoke volumes of love for her, and desire to worship her. Tension fell away once again as she rested her forehead against his, they were breathing in unison as his hands caressed from the very base of her skull to her tailbone, tracing each vertebra sending fire down it as though he had lit her body aflame. She watched him pull away as he swept behind her, she was about to protest until she felt his lips meet the base of her neck.  His fingers slipped over her shoulders so she could see the deep slightly green tan they were, a reminder that the man who’s heat radiated into her soul was Soval.

Fingers, lips, and tongue were involved as he traced each scar, committing them to memory like all the rest of her. Her head was spinning as lust clouded her mind, her body was vibrating as she felt the heat that she didn’t recognize and a tingle in the back of her mind. It was enthralling, intoxicating and so addictive she was sure this had to be illegal. Soval wrapped his arms around her, one of them resting on her sternum and the other on her hip as he pressed his chest to her back. His skin was hot, so hot she felt as though she was melting and wondered if it was possible to become lost in him. He nipped at her neck, his teeth didn’t break the skin but the feeling of them scraping against it made her moan, she didn’t think she would enjoy it, but what every he was doing she could feel every part of her essence sing. He didn’t speak as the hand on her waist altered its path and slowly slipped over her hips and toward the closure of her synthetic leather pants. Kate arched to his touch, he was closer so much closer to where she wanted to feel him. Her body was shivering with want as she ached to have him in every way she could.

His fingers slipped over the fly off them, never once attempting to release it. “Please,” she said, her voice was nothing but a breathy sigh. Soval smirked against her skin as he released the clasp and pulled the zipper down, the sound echoed through the room as he did so. The cool air against her skin as his clever fingers slipped below the waistband made her moan, one of her arms flying  up to wrap around his neck, her body arching pressing her lower half to him. She could feel him under his pants, she could tell he was larger than she had ever even attempted and yet, she wanted him, she craved him. Her pants hit the floor and she stepped out of her heels as well, leaving her standing in black lacy underwear. Soval hummed with satisfaction as his fingers met silk and lace, his movements became slightly more aggressive but she could tell he was restraining himself. Part of her appreciated it, and yet another part, one that had a feeling this was their only chance detested it. “Wait,” she attempted to command, only for it to leave her as a whisper.

The Ambassador froze instantly, he was about to pull away as Kate twisted in his arms. “Don’t do that,” she said, his brows shot up as she ran her hands over his shoulders, reveling in the firm muscle she felt ripple under his skin. “Don’t hold back, I want you Soval, not a version of you. You want to see me, so let me see you,” she reasoned. It was odd and childlike but somewhere in this haze it made sense. A warm smile brightened his features as he chuckled against her, she was about to question him when she felt herself falling backward. Her back hit the mattress and she stared up at him as he slipped out of his slacks, a smirk curling his lips as he did so. It was only then she got to admire him, he was older, and she could see the scars from wars past, he had gray chest hair and dark olive skin. Yet there was another side to him, one that practiced lyre and fought. His muscles rippled, he wasn’t defined like the young and arrogant cadets, but certainly could boast with his defined arms and clearly well-kept chest and abdomen.

His trousers hit the floor with a rush and she was frozen. Her lips parted as all speech abandoned her, she knew Vulcans were stronger but had no idea that the man before her was what hid under those long and shapeless robes. Even the sweaters and pants he wore in the Yukon didn’t give this away. Kate bit her lip as he knelt on the bed before her, awaiting her inspection, all the while she enjoyed every second of it. There was a moment of silence as he leaned over her, their lips meeting, only this time he was rough, passionate and hungry. His tongue dipping into her mouth, tracing every crevice, his lips moving rapidly against her, and hands skimming over her curve, he was everywhere as his weight pressed her into the mattress, she couldn’t even process the information as he stole not only her ability to breathe but to think. His clever tongue was clearly more suited for this, as she slipped her fingers into his soft silver hair. Her blunt nails scraping against his scalp, resulting in another growl that rumbled through his chest.

Kate moaned as she lifted one of her feet to trace down the back of his firm calves. His free hand slipping over her hip and she could feel a tug at her panties. Soval leaned on one arm, lifting himself effortlessly off of her form in order to snatch the one thing barring his entrance from her form. A whisper of a thrill traveled through her as he slipped them off of her, and she knew they were going to land with the rest of their clothing. Kate smirked against his lips as she tucked her toes into the waistband of his pants. She felt him grin against her lips as she slipped them over his behind and down his legs, using only her feet. He didn’t comment but she knew he was impressed with the move, his moan was evidence of it.

Soval’s hand swept over her belly and over her hip, she shivered with delight as he gently lifted under her knee, bending her leg as he did so in favor of nestling between her legs. His lips tracing over her skin, she watched in fascination his free hand cupped her now free breast. He gave it a gentle squeeze before rolling the nipple between his fingers, it was as though he were playing his lyre, and absently she became envious of the instrument that had received his attention. Kate was about to say something when his lips enclosed over one of the pink buds, his mouth was hot and she could feel his tongue lave over the sensitive skin, resulting in her arching off the bed, forming a perfect bow, pressing into him even more as her fingers tangled in short hair. “Soval,” she gasped, his name falling from her lips freely, which only encouraged him as he continued to suckle and tease her other nipple. His slightly calloused fingers offered a different sensation that contradicted his soft lips and demanding tongue. She bit her lip in an attempt to prevent a moan as she wreathed beneath him.

The buzzing in the back of her mind was even more pronounced as the fire she was certain now wasn’t entirely hers seemed to magnify. “I need,” she whimpered, she had no idea, all she knew as she needs more. “I.. n-need,” she attempted again only for the Vulcan to release her nipple and turn his attention to its twin. Kate growled as she grabbed his wrist, she couldn’t be the only one receiving she was a MACCO and a damn good one. Soval allowed her to manipulate him and looked up at her questioningly, a mischievous grin curling her lips. She knew how to get him to do what she wanted, she wanted him to burn for her, as she was burning for him. Kate held his hand before his lips and he lost all interest in her breast.

A soft pink tongue poked out from between a pair of swollen and delightfully bruised lips, only to meet the tips of his fingers. He shivered as though she had shocked him and she smirked as she ran her tongue over the side of his fingers, her determined eyes never leaving him. His breath leaving him in shuttering breaths as she opened her mouth diligently, she could taste him. His skin was sweet and hot against her tongue as she traced the callouses on his fingers, laving over them as though he had given her a treat. His fingers were glistening with her saliva and he watched enchanted as she slipped them between her lips, her tongue sweeping over them in circles as she sucked them gently. A hum leaving the back of her throat as she felt the pleasant tingle sweep through her, all the while her eyes never leaving his as she opened her mouth, allowing him to watch her tongue circle his fingers. She wanted to do this since she learned Vulcan’s kissed with their fingers, wondering just what it would do to him if she did this. His eyes were nearly black, his pupils were blown wide as he growled. She could feel his member against her stomach, it was hard, long and standing at attention.

Soval couldn’t find words as she released his fingers, they glistened in the sun as a strand of saliva connected them to her lips. Her head spun as he swiftly adjusted her position, he was kneeling between her spread legs admiring her, and it was then she could see him in all his glory, standing at attention and flushed a slight emerald green she knew it would be slightly painful as she had never received something so thick, and yet she wanted him. The Ambassador pulled his fingers away from her and she watched as they slipped over her thigh, she trembled at the feeling of her own saliva against her skin, before she felt them sweep over the delicate bundle of nerves sending shocks through her, her body trembling as she was reduced to a puddle of desire.

Fingers breached her, she could feel them slide into her, caressing her in the most intimate way. A moan tore through her as he thrust them in and out of her, his other hand resting in her curls as his thumb swept over her clit, resulting in her fisting the sheets. He added another finger, causing her to buck against him, her body screaming for more. “Please,” it was the only word she could manage, and he understood as he pulled his fingers from inside of her. He lined up and paused, his hands reaching toward her head. He looked hesitant and she could tell from how they were positioned he wanted to meld. She had only melded by accident and yet, she wanted this, she wanted to get lost in him. “Let me see you,” she managed to whisper, amazed she could remember so many words.

Soval smiled as he fanned his fingers over her face, the tips sending warmth through her, simultaneously he thrust into her, his hips snapping forward. Her mind was a mess and lost as she felt him enter her, in so many ways. He wanted to lose himself too, and she could feel the fire inside him burning so intensely she was certain the heat was incinerating them both. Yet, she didn’t care as she pulled him toward her and wrapped her legs around his waist, encouraging him to give into his desire as she was doing for hers. There was no end or beginning as he thrust into her, she could feel the sensation of both being filled and filling another. They no longer had boundaries as his mind fluttered over hers, his desires stroking her own as one would stroke coals of a fire to coax it to burn. Even breathing became something that neither could determine who had done.

Kate could feel him, every part of his being crawling inside of her, and she was doing the same in turn.

She curled around him feeling their tension build as he began thrusting harder and faster into her, stroking the deepest parts as though he had been with her for a century. Her body fell into his, her mind surrendering and enjoying, heart beats as one. The fire, those jade fires that had enveloped his soul and fueled hers were blinding. Her nails digging into his shoulders as she canted her hips to his rhythm, anything to get him deeper, and he obliged with a clever twist and snap. Her head spun as her eyes closed focusing on a new connection one that went beyond anything she ever had.

He growled as she felt the quickening of her orgasm ripple through her, she couldn’t determine if it was hers, or his, the lines were gone. She couldn’t remember how a man she had, as he continued. At some point, they were kneeling, and arm around her back, clutching her to him as his other resting against her meld points. Soval’s demanding lips on her neck as he continued to thrust into her, his panting against her skin and she could feel her heart thundering. Her hips swiveling with his thrusts to increase contact, enjoying the sensation of his lips on her neck, collar bone, and just below her ear, he was everywhere at once as his fingers fell on her meld points. Her arms were around her neck as she pulled him closer craving him like a man in a desert craved water.

The fires so brilliant that she curled around him, her body arching into him as her eyes shot open. She clenched around him feeling his member pulsed as she cried out. Her entire being trembling with energy as she felt herself reach orgasm. White heat flickered behind her eyes as she squeezed her thighs in a futile attempt to remain where she was on his lap.

She shattered and allowed herself to fall away into unconsciousness. Bliss taking over and she could feel him humming in his mind, the fell in a heap on his mattress, limbs tangled, minds mingling and bodies sated.

 _“Sleep, ashayam,”_ he instructed.

Kate sighed as she allowed herself to drift away, savoring the moment where she felt safe, wanted and loved. All things she hadn’t felt since her father died and this man, the one who was cold, had given it to her.

~~vOv~~

 

Paperwork, despite the time in which they lived, was still a nuisance that they couldn’t avoid. It allowed for documentation of movements and could provide a history to protect a person. The issue was that what had to be done in order to ensure that Kate and Amanda could get off the planet and get to Vulcan was classified as illegal in every interpretation of the law. Blue fingers danced over the surface of the terminal, his eyes narrowed at the display with irritation. It had been a long time since he had to do such a thing, Shran huffed mirthlessly as he shook his head. Years ago he was a professional at forging intergalactic documents, specifically Andorian, Vulcan, and Romulan. He wasn’t always just a commander, years ago he had been trained to spy on Vulcans and the only way to do that was to gain access to certain locations and resources that were staples in Vulcan society. The Andorian looked at the pages, his antenna twitched as he did so, his mind flittered back to the child.

He couldn’t help but remember her earnest desire to go to school with humans, Vulcans, and Andorian. He could tell it was more, that she wanted to be accepted for who she was and not judged for it. Shran stared blankly at the screen, he could remember all the grooming his parents had done to ensure he would despise Vulcans as all Andorians did. Years of being told that they would only destroy Andoria if they had the chance and that there wasn’t a middle ground. In a few days he had learned it was all wrong, the moment he had seen Soval staring at the Aurora Borealis as he had when he first visited the North made him realize the gravity of the injustice they had committed against the Vulcan people, the notion that they couldn’t feel and weren’t alive. Kate brought out the best in Soval, and while it is true that the Ambassador was his own person and responsible for a bulk of decisions that he had come to respect, when he was with her he wasn’t the Ambassador but someone in love. He watched Soval look after Kate and treat him with the utmost respect.

The Vulcan people were secretive, unique in ideas and perhaps some of the most knowledgeable people they had ever met. Humans, they were curious, impulsive, and foolish at times, and yet at the same time, they reminded Andoria so much of Vulcans. Shran could remember arguing with the Krim on a number of occasions, to the point that after his arrival on Earth he began to question who the Ambassador really was. From day one on the planet he had been working to ensure that the alliance between Earth and Andoria would remain and now it was in jeopardy due to Terra Prime. He remembered meeting Admiral Forrest, it was brief and only occurred once but it was certainly something he wouldn’t forget. To see the same will and fortitude in his daughter made her an instant favorite of his. Even with all of his teasing he knew he could rely on Kate and her flirt of a friend Amanda. He chuckled at the thought from the rumors around the campus it was that Kate and Amanda were masters at getting in and out of trouble.  He didn’t believe it until he had seen them together, now he did.

Shran stared at the documentation and wondered if this was all he could do, this wasn’t enough as an escape plan. Krim wouldn’t give him access to any of their ships, he paused, it didn’t have to be an Andorian Vessel. While it was true that Soval and Suran would probably fight for a Vulcan Vessel and he would provide an Andorian route, he needed one more. One that they would never guess. There was one option, one that not a single individual would ever guess, after all in this moment they weren’t on speaking terms. Shran quickly sealed the documents with official marks and slipped on his leather coat, he needed to find another route, just in case.

Shran slipped out of his room in the Andorian consulate, the little girl’s face was in his mind, as he remembered how desperately she wanted to be seen as not some alien or a half-breed as she would be pegged, but just a little girl. She wanted to go to a school where all species could attend, and never be judged. There was only one way to achieve that, and he knew it was insane but he would do it. Shran left the consulate and gripped his communicator tightly, all the while praying that this one person would at least grant him an audience. First, he had to find it, but he had a feeling he knew where to look. The Andorian began to walk through the cluttered streets, the sound of people wasn’t as pronounced as it once had been, they had all but abandoned them after the first attack and he knew that there would be another soon. The show at the Gala had been proof enough, it was a matter of time and he wondered if they could stop them. The girl, she knew something, more than they questioned. She had been held by people and he knew it was a long shot but if anyone knew what was going on it was the kingpin of the underworld.

It wasn’t odd to have black-market on planets, the Orions owned the largest black market in several galaxies, this one was unique however as it was run by the last thing anyone expected. An individual with a high position and a great deal of understanding of how it worked, he hummed a little as he remembered meeting them the first time. It was ironic as no one would think that the head of the black market traders was this person, he was a stand-up citizen and one that certainly didn’t scream illegal activities. Shran quickly turned down an ally, his steps echoed as the shadows enveloped him, if he was going to help them, he would have to turn to the only people that could offer him help. He paused outside the red door, knowing just beyond it was his answer. He drew a breath and switched the safety off on his phaser before pushing the door open. After a moment he pushed it open, the sound ricocette off the walls as he did so, and his heart pounded in his head. The Andorian gripped the phaser as he entered, never knowing how he would be received, after the turbulence of the times he questioned if he would be shot on sight.

The Commander quickly walked through the brick hallways and listened to the singing of the floor boards. His body was on full alert as he swept toward what he knew was the office. Standing before it was a very bulky figure in a hood, it’s hand shot out as it asked, “Who are you?” Shran lowered his weapon as he replied in what he hoped would be a confident tone, “Commander Shran, a friend.” There was a moment of stillness, he knew the kingpin was watching he always did, it was odd how he knew what would happen long before anyone else. “You may enter,” he said as he stepped aside. Shran swallowed as he passed through the doors and into the circular office. Everything was dimly lit as always, he knew there wasn’t much in the room, it was after all one that could be moved at a moment’s notice. Sitting in the middle of the room was a familiar figure cloaked in black, his shoes glimmered in the light contrasting his blonde hair and stormy blue eyes. His skin was golden from the sun and he wore a signature smile with ease, it was the result of years of masks and skillful rebuttals. At his side was an all too familiar shadow, as always he was nearly invisible with the large silk hood up, it had always reminded him of a Vulcan robe, but he had learned to never ask, for it would only end in death.

He holstered his weapon and watched the man shift in his seat, his chin resting on his thumb as he pressed his index finger to his lips. Long legs crossed as his gray eyes watched him intently. “What can I do for you, Commander?” he asked, his tone was harsh and cool. It lacked the warmth that others had and it made him wonder if there had ever been a time that this man was happy. “I need your help to ensure safe passage for two humans off the planet if need be,” he stated. The man perked up and quickly leaned forward, his eyes were no longer filled with disinterest but with curiosity. “Who?” he asked keenly, as always theatrics was a waste of time when dealing with this man. Shran was about to respond it wasn’t important when he bit his tongue, they were important and would probably be hunted down and tortured should Terra Prime win. “A pair of MACCOs,” he said in an attempt to keep it as vague as possible.

He didn’t need another pair of ears to spell out who they were. The man’s eyes narrowed as he rose to his feet and then crooked his finger. Shran watched keenly as the figure bent at the waist only to respond with a nod and with a snap the doors were closed. The man was on his feet, buttoning his old Earth navy blue suit. He stepped away from his chair as he did so and said simply, “I do believe it is time we talk,” as he approached, “It would appear you know more than I and that is bad for business.” There was silence as he stood before Shran, “What do you know?” he asked his voice was softer but his gaze sliced like a knife. He looked to the hooded figure behind the blond and wondered if he could trust this other pair of ears. He didn’t even know if the figure in question possessed them, which was yet another concern as what he was going to have to say would result in a great deal of uproar.

Shran gathered his confidence as he responded, “I know that PRION is more dangerous than ever, and Starfleet is corrupt, it is no longer in any capacity to protect anyone. Gardner is slowly dismantling it, piece by piece,” he began. The man didn’t move as he drew a breath and continued, “They are committing atrocities against the people, to the point we are uncertain of who to trust.” He fell silent and he watched realization cross the features of the blond who looked at the shadow behind him, there was silence and he could tell he was debating before bowing his head, his lips curling a little. “Alright, to show you that you can trust me I will tell you my name, trust me it carries weight, but you must swear to never tell anyone else,” his voice was light but the threat was very real as he watched the shadow grip at what he knew was a phaser that wouldn’t be set on stun.

The Andorian nodded in agreement as the man slipped his hands into his pockets, “My name is Doctor Jack Carter-Stark,” he replied. Shran stood stock still, he had heard Stark and Carter, he knew those names after reading Earth history, which was mandatory reading for anyone working with humans. “That’s not,” he began in shock as he took a step back, “how?” he stammered, he was looking at a ghost one that had existed over a century ago. Jack chuckled as he shrugged, “Not important, all you need to do is tell me why they are important, MACCOs are part of the system they will be safe,” he said simply. Shran’s eyes widened as he barked, “No they won’t, not after what she did. They will kill them both as soon as the pair leave the consulate, Kate will die if she is caught off guard.”

The shadow hovered closer, the fabric whispering as the figure rasped, “Major Forrest?” This was the very first time in all of their exchanges the shadow spoke, it was always silent and he looked at it with interest. “She’s fine, she’s in the consulate, all that will happen is a discharge,” Jack said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Shran growled as he snapped, “No she won’t, she was tracked, they know she hacked PRION, she’s in over her head,” Jack held up a hand but Shran continued, “She found files on TAPP.” The word echoed through the room as cold dread settled over its occupants, those four letters had brought devastation and now even Shran knew that even if he didn’t know a damn thing about the project this person did. There was a rush and before the Commander realized it he was flying backward, a massive hand around his throat as his head hit the marble floor, a resounding crack echoed as he met its unforgiving form. His hands grasped at the powerful arm and he gasped, “How do you know that project?” asked Jack darkly, his eyes glistening with what appeared to be tears. Shran clawed at the wrist as he whispered, “It was a file, encrypted but she managed to open it, and came across something, new,” he struggled to continue as he felt his throat closing up.

Jack watched Shran’s features twist before he snapped, “Sadalau.” Sadalau was a Vulcan word, he had heard it many times when interrogating Vulcans. Air rushed into his lungs and he coughed before he even realized it he shot forward on instinct, a Vulcan. The shadow was a Vulcan, and if that was so he could get into the consulate. Jack watched in fascination as Shran grabbed the hood and pulled it back. The shadow didn’t resist as it flew over his shoulders and fell away, he stared shell shocked at the individual before him. Staring back at him with dark eyes and an all too familiar scowl was Kruss, Soval’s head of security. “You?” Shran asked in amazement, “You work with him?” as he pointed to Jack. Kruss closed his eyes, an attempt to center himself, and replied, “Yes, I do. I have been attempting to help him reach his goal.” Kruss dark eyes flickered open as he knelt on the floor before the fallen Andorian who was holding his throat, his fingers brushed against it as he continued, “We seek the same thing, tell me what they have done, it is more than TAPP. I could keep an eye on them in the Consulate, however now it isn’t possible as Soval has made it clear he doesn’t trust me.”

Shran snorted as he crossed his arms, “Really, you think he would. You killed his wife and daughter, you’re the reason he’s so damaged and a workaholic,” he snapped. Kruss’ eyes narrowed dangerously, Jack had fallen silent and watched with amusement, it was obvious he knew this detail but clearly didn’t know the whole story. “It was your job to clear the flitter! For as long as I have known him I take his call on the anniversary of their death, he is usually reeling drunk and fallen so far into darkness there is nothing to repair him. Do you have any idea what it is like for your enemy to call you weeping for a child and wife that died due to an oversight of his security team,” he seethed, “do you know how hard it is for him to even be around children?” Kruss was still as the Andorian continued to shout, “He wept for her, that night. I watch the unbreakable Ambassador fall to pieces, he came to me even after I tortured him, I may have hurt him.”

The Andorian’s skin was flushed now as he continued, “But you, you shattered him. He’s in pieces all because of you!” Kruss went ridged during the rant, his eyes widened a little, the only evidence he had become shocked as he leaned back, “It wasn’t me, I know I failed, but you don’t know it all. Not even Soval does,” he began softly, “I had to stop them from being killed by someone we all trusted. The one who was supposed to guard Vulcan.” Shran crossed his arms as he scowled, “I had to stop V’Las before he managed to kill every single Vulcan on the planet in spite.” Shran stared in disbelief as he rose to his feet hastily, “Why the fuck would he kill his own people?”

Kruss was standing as he slipped his hands into his robe and replied, “They aren’t his people.” Jack finally spoke his eyes locked on the pair as he asked, “What do you mean? He was their Minister.” Kruss looked at Jack as he shook his head, “No, he was elected Minister but Biologically they aren’t his people.” Dead silence settled over the room if he wasn’t a Vulcan than who was he and just who did he ally himself with.

“He’s Romulan, a dangerous faction of them who have been attempting to destroy Vulcan,” Kruss said simply.

Romulan, it made sense in an odd way, the overly aggressive tones of the former minister, his actions toward the Coalition and his methodology of controlling the people of the planet. While it is true that Vulcan’s are passionate none of them would act as violently as he did, the use of an armada against the Andorians was extreme as he had attempted to conquer that which was never his. “You, you aren’t only his head of security,” he realized as he looked at the Vulcan before him, “Who the fuck are you?” To know that information which had never made it to even the Ambassador’s ears or even as a rumor meant he wasn’t just a security guard. Kruss sighed as he replied, “That isn’t important, all you should know is that I don’t exist, just as he doesn’t,” as he looked to Jack.

Shran then turned his attention to Jack who appeared to be smirking with glee, they didn’t exist which only translated to them being larger players in this game than he had assumed. His eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms defensively, “Okay, why are you here? Shouldn’t you be chasing V’Las?” he asked. Kruss was silent, as was Jack. He was which meant, “FUCK, that’s why you joined the Ambassador, why you are always watching Kate. You are after V’Las,” he said quickly, “You didn’t kill them. Someone else killed Soval’s wife and child, someone else has been playing.” They knew V’Las was on the planet, but they had no idea that Kruss was there to handle and different’ threat. The probability that Terra Prime was connected to V’Las was high, to the point he began to wonder if that was how Terra Prime was able to get its hands on the weapons. “We have to tell them, Kate hacked into PRION and found the information on TAPP she’s also in the process of decoding a the worm and the clues Stark left behind,” he explained.

The blond perked up at the mention of Stark and he asked, “Nathan has cards in play?” Shran rolled his eyes as he nodded, cards in play was an understatement he was chasing a ghost they all were. “No shit, whatever is going on it’s enormous bigger than what we know,” he said simply. Jack hummed as he stepped back his eyes grew distant as he chuckled, a wan smile forming on his lips. “Of course, you’re playing,” he whispered and tipped his head back, his hands resting on the collar of his shirt as he groaned, it was a lethargic sound. “Nate,” he breathed, “You should have told me if you did we wouldn’t be here.” Shran stared at the man's’ posture it wasn’t of a kingpin of the black-market, or a notorious murderer, which made him wonder if it was real or all smoke and mirrors as humans said, this man was a grieving one. “What code?” asked Jack as he looked back to Shran. The Andorian started and for a moment remembered what the topic had been, these two had secrets but it was obvious that they weren’t against them. Although it was entirely possible that they had other motives, making this a tenuous relationship, but still an important one.

“Kate found a code in the system it was advanced and was similar to a worm as well as similar technology embedded in the Enterprise,” he explained. Jack’s lips curled and before Shran could continue he said brightly, “I knew you were the clever bastard I always loved, even in the end Nathan.” Shran and Kruss looked beyond confused in that moment as Jack adjusted his shoulders and said simply, “I will help you, in fact, I will provide you with an alternate escape route for Majors Cole and Forrest,” that was too quick and before Shran could ask what he wanted Jack said with ease, “All I want is for you to destroy PRION so GD can rise again.” It wasn’t easy but if this all played right he would be able to execute it. PRION was an issue but GD hadn’t been in existence in years and he wondered just what was important about GD.

This would be a unique alliance as he was asking the only person wanted in every corner of the Universe for black market technology development and theft for aid. Yet, at the same time if anyone could get them off the planet it would be them. “Fine, but if you fail I won’t hold up my end,” Commander Shran stated. Jack laughed loudly, “That was a given, now leave, I have work to do. Oh and don’t say a word about Kruss,” he added.

Shran nodded, all that mattered was he had one more plan to get them off the planet. Rapidly the Andorian left, all the while his mind was reeling thanks to the new information, if Kruss didn’t kill them and hadn’t known the flitter was rigged with was obviously what was suggested by his remark of attempting to prevent V’Las from killing them all, he wondered just who did. V’Las would have boasted, but didn’t. There was also the fact that V’Las was on Earth, as well as the expression on Jack’s face when he stated Kate broke into PRION and found not only TAPP files but also advanced code she had never seen and even began to work on the worm. With an uneasy stomach he began the familiar trek to the Vulcan embassy, he wouldn’t rat Kruss out but he would certainly keep an eye on him as he really didn’t know whose side he was on.

This entire chain of events had only resulted in more questions, Jack Carter-Stark was alive and from the way he spoke, so was the original Nathan Stark. Those two were the most brilliant minds in science, and it sent a shiver down his spine to learn that the pair were involved in some way.

~~vOv~~

The city was abuzz with news of the Ambassador’s actions, and the world seemed to be screaming from the rooftops for punishment. The sound of millions shouting for justice, even though it was never released what had actually occurred. All that had been stated was that the systems had been broken into, no one save those who were affected knew what the Ambassador had done. The weight of the burden that had once belonged to Sarek rested in the trembling palms of an ensign. The same ensign who had her identity stole and abused by someone else in Star Fleet. Her fingers curled tighter around the pyramid, it’s black edges nearly cutting into her hand as she did so, she had to get the device to the Embassy, once it was in the hands of the Ambassador personally she would see what else she could do to assist. Starling stared out the window of the bus as it began to cross the familiar gap of the bay using the Golden Gate Bridge. She watched the midday light hit the cables as she drew another breath. She slowly looked toward the corner of the mirror and noticed a figure that was too familiar, another cadet from the Academy. Since she had left the Captain’s apartment she was being followed and was under no illusion that she wouldn’t be. It didn’t help that ironically the Starship Captain had changed his tune to support Vulcans after retrieving the Kirshira, bringing knowledge and founding a new era of peace for the Vulcans.

Starling looked forward again, it took everything she had to maintain a relaxed posture. Her training came back full force as she remembered what to do in the event that she was being followed. The instructors had been strict about the way they had to respond when they believed they were being followed. So far she had followed all the rules, remain in public view, avoid making eye contact, and above all avoid tense body language, it will indicate to the tail that you know they are there and they might seek to expedite their plan. Starling was still as she watched the city of Sausalito grow closer, knowing that as it did so she was a step closer to getting the pyramid to Soval and Forrest. Forrest, Katharine, Starling remembered meeting the Major in the Consulate. She stood proudly among the Vulcans, unfazed by the looks she received, her blonde hair tied tightly behind her head in a bun and piercing blue eyes that were as cool and sharp as steel. She had heard that Katharine was the spitting image of her father, but hadn’t realized it until she was standing before her. She could remember the way her voice carried, it was confident but not pompous. Her uniform was pressed to perfection and Starling hummed to herself.

She wasn’t a fool and learn later from an unusual rerouted protocol in her mail that she had been hijacked. At first, she was irate and wondered which of her classmates it was until she had gotten the results of a search and came to the realization that it was a sketch, one that was professionally done seeking an identification. Kyra remembered how she began to dig as her curiosity had gotten the better of her, only to learn the man was involved in a  shooting on the Vulcan Ambassador. At first, she thought it was odd that a sketch allegedly done by her would be of such an individual until she remembered jus whom she had met at the consulate. Major Forrest was well known for her skills involving protecting people, however, it was blatantly obvious that her technical skills had been greatly overlooked. Kyra did, even more, digging to learn that something unusual was going on, someone was blocking her mail and had gone so far as to intercept it, however, that was only the beginning. This was even greater than that, Star Fleet had been attempting to hack the Vulcans through Katharine, and she didn’t know why.

Kyra tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear as she said softly, it was true that she should have told Captain Archer, however, she had a feeling he was already in deep. Especially since Sarek who was to be Soval’s replacement was currently on the planet and with the Ambassador. Kyra Starling was considered one of the best in science and Sarek had been working with humans for a long time to bridge sciences together in an attempt to foster a closer alliance. However, the High Command of the past desired nothing more than to take him down, that was until Captain Archer had in a sense saved them. After that Sarek was welcome to continue his work and T’Vok was often one of the people most of their contact with one another went through.

The bus had crossed the bridge and that was when she noticed movement once more, her tail was moving closer toward her. She watched his steps draw nearer as he did so, they were soft which was a horrible attempt to maintain what he had believed to be the advantage. The bus had turned the corner and she looked to a street sign, she was four blocks from the Consulate, that was close enough to run if she had to. Kyra looked back at the reflection only to notice him gripping something bulky in his jacket pocket, he had been wearing a flight jacket which made him stand out. A chill traveled down her spine as she realized that there were only a handful of things that could cause the bulk in his pocket, and one of them would certainly stop her. The Ensign slowly rose from her seat with a hint of grace, if she was going to make it to the consulate she would have to run for it. Taking the bus there wasn’t an option, not only was it not on the route, it would allow for her tail to intercept her easily. Kyra looked at the yellow box on the pole of the bus, the next stop was central square and she noticed ten other people hitting the warning for a stop. She smiled if there was a place to lose her tail it would be in one of the most crowded areas possible.

She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, she felt even more alert than before as she realized she was going to race to the consulate in order to deliver a device that would probably get her arrested if they found it on her. PRION was spreading further and further with the help of Star Fleet, this was probably their only chance to stop it from escalating too far. The cube cut into her fingers, it’s weight reminded her of lead as she stood at attention, the flitter slowing as it approached the stop. Her brown eyes flickered to the window near her and she noticed he had stood as well. Apparently it was game on, and she had to reach the consulate first. Her eyes glided over the occupants of the cramped public flitter. She had to sneak into the crowd, lose her tail and reach the consulate. The issue was her training had taught her that sometimes there had to be collateral damage, and that was the part she despised. Kyra looked to each passenger, there were a mother and son, the boy was wearing a tattered uniform and she noticed the mother was in a maid’s uniform from a prominent hotel. Kyra’s eyes fell on business men clutching a briefcase, he was looking at his PADD, she was about to choose him when she noticed he was speaking to the person on the other end of it. Kyra strode closer, her eyes falling on his smiling face when she heard the chirp of a young girl, his daughter. Instantly he was out, she wasn’t going to make an orphan. Each passenger had a family, a father, a mother, a husband, a wife, a lover and a friend.

Her fingers clenched into a fist, this was why she never wanted to work in the field. The flitter slowed and she was about to quit when she noticed a flash of yellow out of the corner of her eye. She all but stopped as she watched a neon yellow streak being forced to come to a halt. He was perched on top of a standard issued motorcycle, he was an official envoy from the Federation of Planet Building, which meant he was going to the consulate. They were untouchable, they were considered citizens of the Consulate and the classic rule of not harming the messenger applied. If she attacked him she would be committing what was considered an act of war, however, his yellow jacket and bike were a way to escape and get into the consulate with ease. She didn’t even have clearance, and was going to rely on her familiarity with the guards, but if she got her hands on the jacket and bike she could slip through and since it was equipped with shades and a helmet as well she knew all she had to do was ask the biker to hand them over.

Her eyes flickered over the lean form and she noticed the silver wristband and remembered the one caveat, the bracelet had to be removed, but if it was done without the proper key she would alert the authorities and immediately be added to a list of felons after all it was considered a Correlation crime, which was higher than the United Republic of Earth. However, if she didn’t get the cube to them, it wouldn’t matter as in that current moment the situation was far beyond such points. Her mind shifted into overdrive as the flitter doors opened after it came to a stop and she rushed out of it. The neon streak rocketed past her and she grits her teeth as she decided to chase it. It was insane, but she had a feeling that was all that would save her hide.

The smell of oil and food assaulted her nose as the normal clamor of the street market nearly drowned her. Every sense of hers was in overdrive, her heart was roaring in her ears as she quickly took off after the bike, her swift pace was smooth in execution as she avoided running, a dead sprint would point her out to her tail, but if she wasn’t fast enough she wouldn’t get the bike and jacket. Kyra bit her lip, she was a Starling, she knew she had to fly and take the risk. Bodies slammed into her, as people dressed in similar colors seemed to clog her vision, and it was then she realized she didn’t know where her tail was. She had lost sight of him, which was a horrible mistake. “Focus,” she whispered to herself as she fought her natural reflex to flee, all the while her dark eyes were darting around the brick square observing the smallest of details, from the merchants attempting to sell things to commuters rushing past.

Her skin prickled as she began passing a few large shop windows, her dark eyes dieting to one only to notice he was following her, at a sedated pace but one that showed he wasn’t actually a cadet. Her brows furrowed, he was dressed as a cadet, however, he was far too good as she watched him drift down an alley she just past. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she searched for the messenger, it was then she caught a bright yellow shirt, he had stopped and was slipping his hat off. An action that she found very odd, messengers weren’t permitted to stop until they reached either their destination or returned. Kyra was about to pick up the pace when she felt someone grab her arm before she even realized it she was being dragged into a dark and dank alley. She could smell the putrid aroma of trash, an arm wrapped around her waist as another was pressed to her mouth. She was about to bite when a voice softer and slightly coarse voice rumbled, “I wouldn’t do that, he’s not who you think,” it echoed in her ears.

She was about to bite her hand when he continued, “I’m not the enemy, ironically we have the same goal.” She was about to bite him when she felt him slip something into her pocket, it was heavy and she squeezed her eyes shut before breaking from his hold with a rapid twist. She felt her elbow make contact with the side of his ribs and smirked with satisfaction as she heard a rush of air leave his lungs. The blonde whipped around and asked, “Why should I trust you?” she asked. The darkness shrouding him as it had before, he sighed with a hint of irritation as he took a step forward, “Because we already met,” he said simply. Kyra was about to shout and sprint away when she noticed instead of the man in the uniform from the flitter she was face to face with a blonde man who had bright blue eyes, the same one she had gotten the package from with a patch.

Her jaw fell open as she stammered for a moment, he was taking a bracelet off and she noticed it was a sleek slate gray device that glowed a distinct blue, “You?” she asked in complete confusion. His smile widened resulting in his wrinkles becoming more pronounced. He held the band up to her and said, “Yeah, me. Your plan with the messenger would work but they work with PRION.” Kyra maintained her defensive stance in preparation to strike. She didn’t know who to trust and knew she was wasting time, “Who do you work for?” she asked harshly. He smirked a little it, his eyes twinkling with mirth as he slipped his hands into his pockets and replied, “An interested third party.” Kyra blinked owlishly, there was another player in this game and she wondered just whom it was, after all, she had thought it was a battle between PRION and the Ambassador, but things as always were decrepitly simple.

The blonde man reached into his jacket and pulled out a thick rod, “Here, this will get you there faster,” he supplied as he held out the black stick. Kyra glared at him, he had lost it, she had no clue how a stick could help her and wondered if he was just insane. He thrust it out to her and smiled, “Take it, and use it well, you never know when you’ll need a getaway,” he advised. Kyra wrapped her hand around the black baton it was thick and heavier than it looked in her hand. Slowly she held it in bother her palms and examined the brilliant light blue light showing up the side, it reminded her of something important but she couldn’t place it. “Give it a twist,” advised the blonde. Kyra did as instructed and took a step back as bright blue light flooded the alley from luminescent square tiles. She watched as they fitted themselves together as though it were a stream of data finally being allowed to take a physical form. Each square grew solid and turned a dark black.

Brown eyes stared in awe as she watched the body of a motorcycle take shape, “How?” she asked incredulously, such technology was believed to impossible as it wasn’t possible to create matter from nothing. The alley was silent as a jet black motorcycle stood before her, a brilliant blue light glowing from where the speed gauge was. Her eyes taking in the slick lines of the newly created bike, she looked up expecting to find a smiling blonde man, only to note he had somehow vanished. Her eyes darted around as she realized it was a dead-ended alley, which means the only way to escape would have been passed her, and yet he never did. Kyra shook her head scolding herself as she threw her leg over the bike, she didn’t have time for that. The bike rumbled under her and she wondered if this was what Kate felt as she leaned forward and felt her body press into it.

A shiver ran up her spine as she quickly revved the machine and left the safety of the darkness, to dart into the light. Her body hummed as she began to weave through the square, only to hear the roar of something familiar behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to note that she had clearly been wrong about the messenger as he sped up to keep up with her, only now did she notice he didn’t carry a diplomatic pouch, he never had one. The sound of a phaser being discharged rang in her ears as she quickly shifted and raced through traffic, her heart was pounding as she counted the blocks. With each one, she was getting closer. A shot raced over her shoulder and she glanced into one of the side mirrors, noting that the messenger was traveling faster with a phaser pointed at her.

“3 blocks,” she hissed to herself as she approached a traffic light it was going to change red and if that happened she would be dead. Kyra gripped the handles as she picked up speed, she could see a two trailer delivery flitter, she could tell it was loaded based on the way the repulses were responding. Several more shots soared over her, she could feel their heat as she narrowly dodged them. If she was going to make her break she would have to do this, she decided as she steeled herself hoping she wouldn’t be hit by the massive flitter. Kyra raced through the light and heard the blaring sound of warning horns and the scream of breaks as the enormous transport flitter had attempted to break to prevent hitting her. Kyra’s eyes were locked on the other side of the box as she sped through, knowing if she broke her concentration the driver would be scraping her off the grill of his enormous flitter. She felt a rush of air as she blew past it and proceeded to speed down the road, a chorus of warning horns followed in her wake as she quickly rounded the corner.

All she had to do was get past the gates, she wouldn’t be able to leave the Consulate once inside as PRION would hunt her to no end, but that didn’t matter. Just as long as they got the cube they would be able to make the next move, and end this madness. Kyra rounded the corner to see the enormous walls that surrounded the consulate rise out of the earth. She grinned wickedly as she quickly pulled before the gates now she understood why Katharine was a fan of this machine, the difference was hers wasn’t as loud it was nearly silent. Kyra pulled in front of the main gates, she noticed the consulate was nearly silent as she did so, it was unnerving. Usually, this silence was an indication of peace and yet, somehow she believed this to be an indication of grieving. Their Ambassador was being branded a criminal and no one knew what would occur once he was sent back to Vulcan. Yet in her pocket was the one thing that could save them, the one thing that could unravel this mystery.

Kyra pulled between the gates and quickly flashed her ID, “Kyra Starling, Starfleet Science Division,” she recited. The Vulcan woman examined the ID carefully before responding, “You are not on the roster for today, T’Vok is not taking visitors.” Kyra gripped the handles slightly as she drew a deep breath, she was still outside of the walls, if she didn’t get inside soon the messenger could kill her. “I am aware, however, I have an update on the status of the probes on Rigel 6,” she said smoothly. The guard arched a brow as she turned to the wall console. Kyra knew it was a long shot and noticed the guard had left the post and the desire to slip through the opening was enormous, however, she knew far better if she ever wanted to get into the consulate she would have to play nice. The guard reappeared and said simply, “T’Vok has agreed to see you, head up the path.” Kyra nodded as she finally entered the ground of the consulate. A sigh of utter relief fell from her lips as she smiled, she was on Vulcan Soil, PRION couldn’t touch her.

With ease, she slipped off the bike and watched as it snapped back into the familiar road she had first held in her hands. It fell to the gravel drive with a crunch and she was quick to pick it up before heading into the building. The once vivid cream walls felt dim and she could tell the entire consulate was attempting to determine what to do. She smiled as she continued the familiar trek to the desk, she wasn’t about to let Archer down or Sarek. Before she reached it she was intercepted by T’Vok, her movements were rapid and oddly not as controlled. Then again T’Vok was one of the few on Soval’s staff that probably knew what was occurring. Without a question, she fell in step behind the billowing bronze and orange robes.

It was only when they were out of the atrium that Kyra whispered, “Archer.” T’Vok glanced to the blonde beside her and nodded in understanding as she altered their course, originally they had been heading to T’Vok’s privet rooms but she had a feeling she was about to meet the Ambassador of Vulcan personally as well as a very clever Major Forrest. Her heart was hammering as she clutched the cube, it was the thing that would give them the answers they sought but at the same time viewing the material could destroy them. T’Vok’s robes billowed around her as she swept through the halls and she noticed they were drawing even further away from the inner ring of the consulate. She had thought they would be going to her office, but rather it appeared the Vulcan had a different idea entirely. Kyra tensed after a moment, part of her wondered if she was wrong for trusting T’Vok. If that she had managed to overlook a detail that could be the difference between aiding the Ambassador or creating a large struggle that would place the spotlight on the Consulate as well as the Ambassador.

She fell silent as they slipped out the doors of the consulate and began to cross the expansive gardens,  even those were eerily still, she could feel the chill sweeping over her skin and settle in the marrow of her bones. A storm had been brewing for a long time off the cost and none of them had any idea as to when it would slam into the shore. Resting just a few moments away from the compound yet enclosed within her walls was a large home, she had seen it many times from a distance but quickly sobered as she stood in the doorway and watched the door open. Draped in casual Vulcan robes was the Ambassador’s Senior Aid, Suran, she had seen him a number of times around the consulate but never once spoke to him, it was an odd motion to speak with those who didn’t know that you even existed. Suran’s gray gaze fell on hers, it was intense and his featured were stoic as always. Kyra suppressed a shiver as he said, “Hello, Ensign Sparrow.”

The blonde’s eyes widened as she looked from T’Vok to Suran, neither of them had used her name, not even in a whisper. “Sir,” she said softly, her nervousness ebbing into her voice more than she would like. Suran swiftly turned and moved from the doorway, “Enter, we have much to discuss,” as always his tone was cool and distant, it was unnerving to Kyra how aloof Vulcans could be when they desired to. Kyra fell instep without question, the house was silent and she noticed that it seemed far more desolate than most Vulcan offices, at least they had something that reminded them of home and it was then she realized that the Ambassador had been packing in preparation for being moved off the planet. In that moment, reality hit her as though it were a nonstop express flitter, on the news it was a large story but it wasn’t the same as seeing it.

 


	21. The Arrival of the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning is well on its way as new realizations occur. Not only the fact that Katharine and Soval have forged a powerful bond but the fact that they will not be able to announce it unless the manage to escape the Vulcan. All the while, the truth is revealed as the girl who had stolen the PADD is questioned by Amanda and they learn that Stark isn't dead. Shran is left to attempting to finding another plan only to realize he has one more place to go, to see the kingpin of San Francisco's underworld. Yet, does the kingpin know more than he says?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very long and it is for a reason, there is a great deal of information in it, and as promised, it will all begin to make sense. So remember to look at all the detail and pay attention to it, as it will hold some of the answers, but not all.

###  **Chapter Twenty-One: The Arrival of the Storm**

The house was still like much of the consulate had been and for Soval it made him realize just how close to the end it was. A soft hum in his mind made him smile a little, Kate he had fallen for her and before he even realized it the constant tug toward her and the desire to protect her, to love her wasn't as simple as affection for a person, but the start of a bond. He couldn't pinpoint when it had begun, all he knew was that what they had wasn't the same as the first bond he had with his wife, and this one was different. It was stronger, something so strong he didn't believe it could ever break. The Ambassador knew he hadn't bonded with her traditionally, he knew society dictated a marriage bond, but after finally yielding to desire and truly reaching out to her, he felt a bond he hadn't even realized he was cultivating. A bond that he thought was just a familiar one the first time he had met her again, to see Max's daughter on the motorcycle had created a new image of life. He thought it was because he considered her his daughter after his own had perished. He had been so very wrong.

The Ambassador's eyes fell on the familiar form of the MACCO lying under his sheets, her chest rising and falling slowly as sleep allowed her to escape from the reality that they might not have a chance to hold a full ceremony. He could still taste her lips on his, her scent surrounding him, and the way her mind easily caressed his. She was strong and intelligent, but at the same time soft and gentle. He slowly closed his eyes and felt the brilliant warmth and enchanting light from the newly formed bond fill him, it glowed blood red, proof that it had been forming the entire time. Most bonds were white and even silver, bit those which had acquired color were stronger than any other, and as there was deep crimson was proof that it had evolved over time.

Kitty's words echoed in his mind and he froze,  _"You somehow always get back what you've lost. Oh don't worry, you will, and it will be in the most unconventional way and unusual time but, you'll be happy again, I know you will."_  How she knew really did surprise him, he didn't even think what she said would ever occur. Logically he would take a mate to get through Pon Far but he didn't think he would have a young mate without the impending pressure of the Pon Far. Nor the fact that it was Admiral Forrest's daughter, a girl he always wanted to protect. Vulcans' didn't believe in destiny or fate, yet there was also Thay'la that seemed to be the exception. He felt peace in his mind and it swept into his Katra, for the first time since their death he was at peace and felt whole. It wasn't an end all solution, there was a little pain when he realized that Katharine had taken up the empty space in his now serine Katra, but at the same time, there was understanding. An understanding that he couldn't live in the past, if only it wasn't so fleeting.

The Vulcan paused, and remembered the small box, the one that Nick had left under the tree for him to find. He still wondered how the human knew, it was impossible as he himself didn't. Soval shook his head as a smiled curled his lips, he could still remember the young and exuberant young man, and his dark green eyes had glimmered all night as he taunted the Ambassador. At first, Soval believed him to be another irritating human, only now did he see that perhaps he wasn't, he had told him what he didn't want to see. The small black velvet box floated into his mind, he had put it away in the safe located in the sublevels of the building, never having opened it. At the time he had thought it was the designer's way of teasing him, now he knew otherwise. How both Monroe and Nick Class knew this would occur confused him. There was a part of him that was begging to call the young designer he knew to be on Vulcan about the new development and interrogate him while the other part a marginally small one wanted to keep it to himself.

Soval slipped his fingers through her silken blonde hair, it was a little oily but that only made him grin. It was evidence of their activities which should have made him berate himself but he couldn't care. She was his wife in all but name. The more primitive side of his mind was content, but he wanted to see her draped in his colors, he wanted to witness her becoming his publically. His hand slipped over her back, tracing the curve of her spine and he listened to her moan a little, he knew she was sleeping deeply but smiled at the sound. He wanted her to be his wife, that way she would always be by his side and in his home. He wanted her to know what it meant to belong and have a family. The door of his room opened slightly, Suran swept into the room cautiously. Caution was always something that was exercised when entering a Vulcan's room, especially when they had just lain with their mate.

As always the aid was wrapped in his dark blue robes, a symbol of his family and status on Vulcan. He had come to realize that for Suran it was a reminder of home and never asked for him to don the traditional orange and brown robes. His hands were tucked in his sleeves as he said, "Osu, there is a message from Starfleet," his voice was soft, and Soval was happy he had decided to say it just loud enough for him to hear. The Ambassador nodded as Suran turned his attention to Katharine, Soval decided to take the moment to slip into a fresh tunic and trousers. He could still hear Katharine's soft breathes and slow heartbeat, it was soothing to feel her in his mind and as part of his Katra. Once wrapped in a gray tunic and black trousers he nodded for Suran to meet him in the hallway. He did not like leaving Katharine, but he also knew that this was a message meant for only himself and Suran.

They would have to be prepared to leave by morning and the message would contain every detail. While it was true he would tell Katharine, because it was an official message it wouldn't open if she was present, and annoying feature that was implemented by PRION. Soval paused just outside the door and looked back in on Katharine's sleeping form; her skin seemed to glow in the light of the afternoon sun. He knew he was making the right decision; he had to for her sake. Silently he closed the door and began to sweep down the hallway; he was several paces before Suran, his head held high as he did so. "You are bonded to her, I have never seen such a beautiful bond before," Suran began. Soval paused as he looked in the direction of his Aid, he appreciated Suran and these past weeks he had come to realize just how important he was to him. "It is stronger than any other, she is your mate. I congratulate thee," his tone radiated genuine joy making the moment seem less bleak that it was. Soval relaxed a little as he nodded, he was happy that at least Suran approved it meant he wouldn't have to fight too hard for her to be accepted, with the exception of T'Pau who was always difficult when humans were involved.

"You cannot announce it until we capture V'Las and his followers," began Soval, "It will put both Katharine and Amanda in danger, I won't lose them." He had found happiness and he wasn't about to allow anyone to rip it from him. He wanted to show the world she was his, he desperately wanted to mark her for all to see as the woman who was his wife. "Will you tell her about the bond?" asked Suran as they turned the corner and paused on the landing. Soval's eyes narrowed dangerously, he honestly couldn't believe anyone would contemplate not telling someone something that important. "Yes, she has a right to know, it is up to her if she tells Amanda. As I will not interfere with her friendship," he concluded. They were friends but he also knew Kate didn't tell Amanda all, like with Christmas she hadn't told Amanda where the violin came from or the sheet music.

Soval continued down the stairs to the lower level where his office was, tension built inside him as he did so. He could tell Suran was also feeling the gravity of the situation as he opened the doors to his office, he hadn't ever expected this to come. In his mind and throughout his experience with the high command he had been told he would be the Ambassador to Earth until his death. Now, he was about to be sent back to Vulcan and put on trial. It was true they had broken the law, but if they did not many more would die and they need the information in Archer's possession. The situation had become so complicated he wasn't sure where it even began or ended. It didn't help that they were chasing something of a ghost, one that had been around since Maxwell was younger, one that had united them on the same front in order to stop humanity from destroying its self and take everyone else with it.

The terminal came to live rapidly and he noticed the single message, it was a document but he knew all too well what it would entail. Gracefully he sank into his chair and opened the message; he could feel Suran looking over his shoulder.

_Ambassador Soval of Vulcan,_

_The following letter details the method in which you are to leave the planet. Your shuttle will be escorted by one of our battle cruisers, once you are onboard the T'Mir, you will then be escorted by the Valiant to the edge of the solar system where you will be able to jump to warp. Your successor has yet to be named by the Vulcan High Counsel; however it is without the doubt that they have several candidates in mind. It is required that both you and your personal aid are to leave._

_Major Katharine Samantha Forrest and Major Amanda Lilith Cole are to remain on Earth and will be on trial for acts of espionage as well as larceny. Once the court reaches a verdict they will be reprimanded accordingly._

_The timetable below is for yourself and your aid, you must adhere to it._

Soval ceased to read as he sent a copy to a PADD for Suran, he handed his schedule. The important fact was that despite what Gardner had said he was going to put both Katharine and Amanda on trial. This meant that they had evidence of the crimes, the issue was that Katharine was careful, to the point that even the Vulcan Science Academy couldn't keep up. He had analysts appear and ask for her to teach them how to do what she did. She had solved the mystery behind the weapons signatures, as well as several major elements and even dragged data about TAPP out of it. They had yet to figure out the entirety of the weapons signatures but from what he could tell she was close. There was also the fact that V'Las was on the planet, which meant he could have been planning this entire series of events. Everything was going to fall apart, he knew it, while he didn't usually listen to his instincts, and a long forgotten part of him told him the worst was yet to come.

He stared at the black screen as he contemplated his next move, the largest concern he had was reaching the shuttle and getting both Amanda and Katharine on it. He knew Shran was currently working on creating a secondary plan, but with the current political atmosphere and how charged it had been after several bombings and the murder at the Coalition of Planets which the results of the investigation were inconclusive. Soval had seen war, he knew what it did to planets and people, and he also had seen peace and friendship which he had oddly discovered with Shran. While it was a tentative friendship at best, it was the closest thing he had to it, save Suran who had yet to leave his side. "Make sure Katharine reads the file, as well as Amanda," he stated as he felt the urge to meditate increase. Everything in his mind was jumbled, the bond he had formed with Katharine was fresh and with the increase of new emotions as well as his own trepidation and fears, it was overwhelming.

On Vulcan after bonding they would meditate for hours to discover the depths of their bond as well as grow accustomed to it. In the past it had been simple, as he had been married to a Vulcan who had been taught the importance of control and while their emotions were powerful often understood the techniques of soothing a mate. Katharine was human, her mind was vivid and dynamic, and it tended to ebb and flow even in sleep. It was so different he could get lost in her world, but knew it was unwise until he had time with her in a safe place. Falling into each other's minds wasn't easy to resist, and if not controlled they would become lost. Sarek, the young Vulcan had managed to get himself caught in the middle of the storm, as he had been the one heading to Earth with valuable information. The cause of the destruction of the experimental vessel was still unknown; however the probability of it being foul play was higher than it had been previous.

The Ambassador leaned back in his chair as he began to go through his desk and pull the emergency Visas to Vulcan, while they weren't official, they would pass until the leapt out of the solar system. Once always from Terra their concern would be reaching Vulcan before anyone else realized what had occurred. Lying was not in the repertoire of a Vulcan, and yet he would do anything to protect both MACCOs as well as the chance for a brighter future. Soval heard the door open as well as the greeting; Ensign Sparrow had decided to enter his privet residence. The act it's self was a bold one, after Katharine had stolen her identity and impersonated her, yet at the same time he had a feeling she had a logical reason for returning. T'Vok had mentioned on occasion that the young woman was skilled and intelligent, but nowhere near as clever as Katharine.

It was odd, years ago he would have claimed the Vulcans which worked under him were far better, and yet now he was conflicted. Katharine had proven to be an intriguing individual, one which paid attention to detail and understood the importance of creative thinking, it was odd however with the recent code that had cropped up in several machines it was no wonder that they had to resort to something that involved a great deal of thinking. Soval left the sanctuary of his office, wrapping a long robe around him as he did so, he could feel a slight chill in the air, and while he would usually turn the heat up, he did not desire to make humans uncomfortable. The silver-haired Ambassador swept down the stairs, his steps were light, as his dark eyes sought the girl. Standing in the sitting room was a young blonde with brown eyes, now he understood why Katharine had used her identity, aside from the eye color and minor facial differences, a human would easily mistake the pair.

Suran was standing before the ensign who was clutching her bag, her knuckles were white and the firm set of her shoulders clearly indicated that it had been a difficult task to simply reach the Consulate. "Ensign Sparrow," he greeted as he took a step further into the room, she swallowed nervously as her eyes checked all the exits. "Ambassador," was all she replied, but her tone indicated a great deal of stress, causing him to arch a brow. Clearly the city was in a worse state than he had known. It wasn't suprising as they would be pushed out of a majority of safety bulletins that didn't pertain to him leaving the city. His eyes fell on the fire place as well as the cream colored walls and the dark earth tone furniture. It was an attempt to appear at ease, even if every fiber of his being was screaming for him to stand guard.

There was a rustle of fabric and he watched as the blonde reached into her bag and pulled out a cube. His eyes were locked on the black piece of technology immediately, Stark, only this time he knew what was on it. At least what had been on it originally, "Captain Archer asked me to deliver this to you," she began as she held it out to him. Soval collected the cube, it was heavier than the pyramid, its color was darker and he could tell it was constructed to conceal all its secrets from those who were not worthy to read it. His fingers slipped over the polished faces, remembering that it had been constructed so that it would only open for the right person, Stark had never explained how the cube was to identify them, but did allude to a very specific driver having been on it. "Thank you how is the Captain?" he asked, knowing that if he did not know the full gravity of the situation, a single miss-step could lead to ruin.

Sparrow shifted her bag on her shoulder a little, it was then he noticed a long black rod in it, a knowing smile played on his lips. That bar he did recognize, it was created by Global Dynamics and while the line had never been officially introduced it had proven to be a vehicle that even Vulcans were keen on. "He is alright, as is his crew and Sarek," she reported, Soval nodded as he continued to trace the glossy surface with his fingers. Sarek was with Archer, which meant he would be safe. The captain might have been impulsive, but he would never place anyone in harm's way, it simply wasn't how the man functioned. He could still remember his first encounter with Shran on that planet in order to negotiate peace, it felt like a life time ago. "I have something else," said Sparrow as she held out what looked like a uniform patch.

Soval looked over to Suran subtly only to note how the man's gray eyes were also filled with utter confusion. Resting in her palm was a black, blue and green patch, as he drew closer the symbols took shape, only feeding his first theory. She held it out curiously, he could tell she wasn't read into the series of events which had surrounded this entire meeting. How she had come to possess the patch was not of interest, it was the patch its self it was. Staring back at him was a blue pyramid with a green and black image of earth in the middle. On either side of the pyramid the words Terra Prime stood out starkly as they had been embroidered with white thread. The silver-haired Ambassador folded his arms as thoughts swirled in his mind, Global Dynamics. Originally it was a globe, and then it became a pyramid, this patch used them both. "West and King," he said after a pause, those were the only two who had used that emblem. They were the only ones who had ever been near a project that could cause this kind of damage, TAPP.

The person who was controlling TAPP was related to West and King, as the patch was a fusion of the two logos in a simpler fashion. "Suran I need you to look up who the daughters of King and West married," he said swiftly. His aid immediately set to the task, if he was right he knew who was behind some of it, the only living relative of the pair. Sparrow looked confused, "Who?" she asked meekly, it was blatantly apparent that she was terrified of him, it was ironic as he was going to be forced back to Vulcan where he would become a criminal and no longer the Vulcan Envoy. He slowly picked up a water carafe and poured three glasses, only to set the three on the table. Sparrow turned her attention to the clear glass and hesitantly lifted it to her lips.

From the way in which the previous events had transpired the exercise of caution made sense. Something had unsettled her, while she had yet to indicate what had caused this current state; he also knew she would tell him if it pertained to their current predicament. "King and West, were two major players with Global Dynamics prior to Doctor Nathan Stark had taken over back in 2006," he explained, "They had set the Laboratory on a very different path than that of Stark." He paused as he felt Katharine rouse, her mind was a buzz and without fail he felt her mind caress his. He smiled a little at the feeling as he heard her shuffle in the hallway before making her way down the stairs. Soval turned his attention to the doorway, standing before him was Katharine, and she was wearing a pair of leather pants, with a tight white shirt and her signature black leather jacket. She was dressed to ride her bike only to have stopped in the sitting room. Her blue eyes fell on Sparrow; he could tell she was more curious than surprised as to why the Ensign was before him.

"Major," he greeted, sending as much affection as possible through their bond, he felt no resistance as well as a wave of understanding as she joined them. "Stark was more for exploration, from what I know the other two were into weapons," Katharine supplied as she slipped her hands into her pockets. Sparrow was still as she examined the MACCO, her dark eyes slid over her before she said, "We do look similar, I understand why you used my identity, and you could have asked me." Katharine nodded, the unspoken portion of the sentence was that in reality they didn't know who to trust. So far, those who had claimed to be allies were actually enemies, and enemies were closer to allies. An odd twist of fate had provided them with a unique opportunity to see just what the world had created and who truly did sympathies with them.

Suran continued to search until he said, "King had a daughter who married into the Paxton's, and West," there was a pause as a noticeable grimace of discomfort contorted his features, "He did have a biological son who later became a chemist, but he adopted a girl." Soval turned his attention to Suran, he noticed how his aid was even tenser than before, a clear indication that what he was going to tell them was actually a great deal worse than they had expected. "She was the result of an affair between the Zoe Carter and Zane Donavan, a blonde girl who later changed her name to," Suran lifted his gaze from his tablet, "Prion," the name tumbled from his lips and Soval felt a wave of shock and anger slam into him from Katharine. "Wait, if she is really an illegitimate child why did she attempt to destroy GD?" asked Sparrow.

Katharine sighed heavily, and shook her head, "You're parents, you're their child, you weren't adopted nor have a step parent?" she asked slowly. Soval's hazel eyes shifted to Katharine as she bit her lip, anxious to hear Sparrow's reply. The Ensign shook her head and he watched his mate continue, "When they don't see you as family, you aren't treated the same, and although she was Jack Carter's blood because of Zoe Carter, it can be difficult when you aren't related to both parents. While we all know Jack Carter later became Carter-Stark, it wasn't his marriage to Stark that did this was it?" she asked as she looked to Suran. The Aid replied with conviction, "No, it was while married to Dr. Abigail Carter, Jack Carter did not learn of the child until later." Katharine sighed as she looked at the floor, Soval fought the urge to hold her again, and he could feel her pain and loneliness ebbing away. He had seen the way Katharine had been treated, and knew all too well that it wasn't with the love she had deserved. Maxwell had adored her, but his wife never did.

Sparrow swallowed as she turned her attention to Suran, "Is she the only Prion on file?" The aid had looked through the list, he could tell he was just as confused when he noticed him reply, "No, there are a few, but the list stops 30 years ago," he said. The Ambassador stowed the information away, he doubted that it was the last Prion, more likely it was the last one announced to the public. "This does prove one thing," began the silver haired Ambassador, "that this has been going on longer than any one of us has realized." He fell silent as his mind fell back to the days he had spent with Maxwell tearing TAPP apart and attempting to dismantle it entirely. While the technology was impressive, it also made him question what other things humans had managed to achieve in the shadows, away from the gaze of the Vulcans.

He was drawn out of his thoughts when Katharine reached for the cube that he had left on the table, "This is Stark's," she remarked as her fingers wandered over its edges, inspecting it for any indication of what it did. Of all the individuals around, the only one that would likely be able to open it would be the woman who was currently shifting it from hand to hand, he could feel her mind slowly slipping into thought. The buzz against his was delightful, her mind was dynamic and he knew instantly that she would always have been the mate he had been seeking, the reason behind it he was unsure but from their connectivity there was no denying it. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Suran handing her a black PADD, she pursued her lips and could hear her cursing in her mind.  _"Breathe, we will review the plans,"_ he whispered in his mind, knowing she could hear him.

Katharine's head whipped up and she stared at him in shock, he could tell she really wanted to learn how to do that, the corners of his lips curled a little as she huffed and went back to the PADD. "Ambassador, Star Fleet is not settled, and I don't know who to turn to," she said slowly, "I don't trust them." Soval stared at the young ensign, to learn of the darkness that surrounded their time and see it affect and organization such as Starfleet was discouraging to anyone. However, he also knew that all they would have to do was put the proper Admirals in place and they would be able to continue their march forward. "I am aware, however it is important to recall that we must do what is right, even when the road is much more difficult. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few," he responded sagely. The young woman nodded and looked to T'Vok, "I was hoping to stay in the consulate, they will know I'm here, and as I'm unsure of who to trust," she fell silent.

T'Vok had left and he could tell the young ensign felt more comfortable with the familiar Vulcan. "Return to the compound and seek T'Vok you are welcome to continue your research here," he said with ease. Sparrow didn't need to be told anymore and he watched her leave the room in a hurry. Leaving him with Katharine and Suran, the pair was quiet, and he could tell they were both lost in thought. He took a step closer to Katharine and asked, "Do you know how to open it?" He watched her fingers sweep over it, her mind wandering as she did so, only for her to shake her head. The disappointment was evident in her tone and before she could remark more a message on her PADD cropped up, "I'm wanted at Starfleet," she said as she looked at the bubble. It was going to be about what would occur the following morning, "I understand," he replied softly.

Katharine looked at them as she slipped the cube into her bag with her PADD, it didn't matter at this point, by the time they solved it he would be gone and if all the variables went according to plan she would be with him. "Ashayam," he breathed as he carefully grabbed her hand and swept his fingers over hers, "Please be careful." Intense sky blue eyes stared back at him, they were filled with a number of emotions but the most dominant of them was affection. "I will," she said as she slung her bag over her shoulders, "Contact Shran and tell him you need to meet, I'm sure he will have another plan." Soval watched her walk out of the building, his gaze not leaving the front door as he listened to her rev her motorcycle and leave the compound. He was so focused on it, he nearly missed Suran announcing his need to meditate.

~~vOv~~

The past day had been turbulent and the entire consulate had fallen prey to negativity which permeated the air in light of recent events. The oddest part was that none of the Vulcans had agreed to the claims and while they executed their jobs, they also began to seek ways to assist their Ambassador. Some of these acts were as large as Vulcans, who rarely left the compound seeking their contacts on the outside, and others were similar to Kruss who had seemed to vanish, his only words were that he had to speak with a contact. Soval didn't trust Kruss but Suran had learned over the years that not all was as it seemed. The flame of a meditation pot flickered as he drew another breath, focusing on finding his center. He had to find it if he would be any use, to see his friend in a position that could ultimately destroy all chance there was of achieving peace and even take his life had been unsettling. He drew another shuttering breath, in these past few days he had learned more about the people he worked with as well as his friends than he ever thought possible.

Suran opened his eyes as he watched the flame flicker and glow, Soval had found someone. He had seen the kiss on the bridge and the way they retreated to the privet residence he wasn't a fool, he knew what they were doing. Soval understood the ramifications of his actions and had clearly realized that the likelihood of ever seeing Kate again was nonexistent. So he did what anyone in love would do, treasure her and cling to her until daylight. There was sadness in his heart, Soval had suffered for so long, and to find out that his finally earned happiness would be ripped from him brought him sorrow. He wanted to help and had with all his capacity but it wouldn't be enough.

The door opened quickly and he was met with the scent of lavender and honey, a favorite of Amanda's. He had learned through working with her over the past few months that was her preference in perfume. She approached slowly, her steps were hesitant and he could tell that entering a meditation room wasn't something she often did. Patently he waited as she settled before him, her long brown hair around her shoulders, she was wearing jeans and a loose red tee-shirt. Both MACCOs had dressed down as it was their final day with them, he knew the pair were distressed. He stared at the young woman, she seemed pale and gaunt, evidence that she had fought and lost. Suran's eyes swept over her slouched posture, she was crestfallen, and a sight he didn't think he would ever see.

Silence filled the air, he knew she was uncertain of where to begin, and he couldn't blame her. Amanda's chest lifted as she drew a breath and began, "I don't think I've ever seen Kate so happy." Happiness, while not high on the list of priorities of Vulcans when asked, was still important, but unspoken of. He could see the prospect of her friend being plunged in pain was displeasing, and he smiled a little, Amanda was far more loyal than anyone he had ever met. She was a good friend and he knew he would do all he could to make sure she could continue to watch over Katharine. "Neither has Soval," Suran supplied as he rested his hands in his lap, "After losing his wife and daughter I didn't think he would ever smile again." Amanda nodded as she slipped a strand of chestnut hair behind her ear. She was deep in thought, he could see the worry in her eyes, and the fear of losing everything. "We will stop them Major," he said simply, "We must."

A snort left the young Major as she shook her head, at first he thought it was disbelief only for her to say, "Suran, this is our last night, don't call me Major," he watched as she shifted to her knees, her dark eyes on him as she licked her lips nervously, "please, don't." Suran was stiff as he watched her, he had taken note of her, looked after her well-being and health, and been there to comfort her after finally telling of the darkness that surrounded Katharine. She nervously glanced to the side, he could see her uneasiness as she said continued, "Just for tonight, call me Amanda, I know we have a plan in place but, I don't want to be Major tonight. I want to be Amanda, a human girl who." Amanda bit her lip as she looked into his tempest gray eyes, her dark brown orbs seemed to glow and she continued, "Who is terrified of losing the only three people who matter to her." Three people, Suran arched a brow at the number, it was specific and he wondered who they were. He knew Katharine was and watched as she played with the hem of her shirt. "Kate, Soval and you, you guys are the only friends I have and I don't know what I would do if anything happened to any of you," she said softly.

Friend, he was a friend of hers, it warmed his heart as he heard those words. "You are my friend as well," he said warmly, there was a soft smile on his lips, friendship wasn't the only thing he felt for her, but he accepted it. He wanted her in his life, even if it was as a friend. "I am?" she asked keenly, there was excitement in her voice and he nodded. She was glowing with joy as she chirped, "You guys are the only friends I have ever had, and I'm glad you want me to be your friend too." Suran nodded as he relaxed a little, he could feel her happiness chasing away the darkness.

"Yes," he said simply.

Amanda hummed and then grinned, she was happy and he wondered just when this woman had stopped smiling. "Do you think we will hear wedding bells soon?" she asked. Suran tilted his head in utter confusion, and she laughed loudly. "We are not getting married," he stated. She shook her head, her brown hair shifting about her as she said, "Not us, no. For Soval and Kate, he loves her and she is so in love with him I'm amazed they didn't give into one another sooner." That he didn't know he hoped that one day Soval would bond again and now realized that he had finally found a mate. "I'm uncertain, it would be logical for them to officially bond," he reasoned. Amanda hummed as she nodded, he could tell there was more she wanted to say but allowed her to fall to silence. He would have to accept it, she was different and even if he wanted more he knew he couldn't have it. She would never give it to him and friendship was better than nothing.

"How is that little girl?" asked Amanda after a moment and Suran blinked owlishly, he hadn't anticipated her being curious about a small child, then again this was probably the first time she had come across one of their species as a child. Katharine spent far more time doing so. He shifted his hands in his lap as he responded, "She still lives in the Consulate, there was a couple who was unable to conceive, as she needed a home it was logical." Amanda's lips parted, he could see she was aching to ask a question, and wondered why she always restrained herself from merely asking, it was more affective and he would never bar her from learning the answer. He knew all too well it would result in snooping and perhaps another broken vase, which she blamed on the Sehlat that had slid across a freshly polished marble floor after the toy she had thrown. She didn't know just how much Sehlat's loved to play fetch until it was a stampede of large paws and a growl of joy. The expression on her face as the large animal raced past her in an attempt to retrieve the ball was certainly one that brought him great amusement.

Amanda stared at him and he watched as she put her hands on her hips, "When where you going to tell me! I didn't get to meet her and I wanted to," she replied, as always she sounded petulant and he reminded himself that in a number of ways it had been unfair to ignore the MACCO's desire to meet the child. He simply rose to his feet and said, "She will be in the garden with her tutor, we can see her now if you wish." Amanda blinked owlishly before scrambling after him, he was already out the door at the time it registered, and he suppressed the urge to chuckle, yet allowed a small smile to curl his lips. As always she was chasing after him, she was a brilliant woman, with a great deal of spirit and curiosity but nothing seemed to replace the fact that she didn't always know what he was up to. Suran continued down the hallway and began, "It will be lunch, she is adjusting to her new family," he paused uncertain of what the human would also desire to know. He had seen her take an interest in them before, but never a specific Vulcan with the exception of himself and Soval. "Does she have friends?" she asked curiously, the question was filled with genuine interest and while it was true Vulcans held friendship in high regard, he also knew that the girl was having a difficult time adjusting.

Suran shook his head as he slipped his hands into the sleeves of his robes, "No, as she is not entirely Vulcan, and many do not see her as acceptable," he explained as he lead her through the winding stone paths of the garden after having exited the Privet Residence. The air held a chill as it nipped at his ears, he could feel it sinking into his skin despite adoring a thick winter robe. Yet, for all the irritation the cold brought, he didn't deny the people of Earth always were hospitable toward them. He continued toward the main complex as he realized Amanda was silent. He slowed his pace in favor of looking at the Major, she had her fingers balled into fists and was glaring at the walkway, "That's stupid. Just because she is different doesn't make her inherently bad," she snarked. Suran knew that the reply was not meant for his ears but oddly felt certain warmth spread in his chest, as he listened to her defend the child. She didn't even know the young girl and yet Major Cole was willing to defend her.

They slipped through the automated silver doors and he began to lead her through the warm cream yellow walls toward where the tutor was. He knew break would occur soon, which also meant that Amanda would be able to meet the girl and even talk to her. Communicating with another individual, regardless of species was important, and while humans were considered the greatest amongst many Vulcans on their home world, thanks to Major Forrest and Major Cole, as well as the crew of the Enterprise, they had learned that they did have a bit in common with the humans. He quickly turned another corner passing a large display of script that had been translated off the kirshira, it had been painted by one of their finest artists as a reminder of the importance of remembering the past.

The Ambassador's Aid quickly opened the door to the classroom and took in the children with their heads dipped over PADDs. Their fingers were working quickly as well, they were clearly examining the synthesis of genetic material from the Denobulan Fruit bat, material that had been obviously exchanged at one of their many conferences. He swept into the room with little need to speak to the instructor, as he was the Senior Aid, and while he did not always exercise all of his power, this was the one occasion he would. He stood before the young girl, her brows were furrowed and he noticed someone had sent her a virus on her PADD. The elder paused before saying, " _T'Lar, ein-veh aitlu-tor stariben k'du_ ," he could feel Amanda's confusion and watched the young girl look up at him with intrigue. She wasn't like many children as she was half-Romulan it was more difficult for her to exhibit control, however it wasn't impossible as he had seen another do so. T'Lar's dark eyes fell on him before looking just past his shoulder, her dark eyes widening at the sight of the MACCO in a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt. For him this wasn't unusual, he had grown accustomed to her clothing. Yet, it was obvious that many of the children did not. He turned his attention to Amanda and gestured for her to join him.

"T'Lar, this is the one who desires to speak with you," he said with ease as he noticed how Amanda suddenly looked very nervous, it was amusing to see as she stared both himself and Soval down constantly, "This is Major Amanda Cole, she is a MACCO with Star Fleet." T'Lar's eyes widened with realization and he watched as she shrank back and began to stare at the floor. Suran knew she had taken Amanda's tablet but had been informed of her actions not being something to punish as she had done what they would have when in such a situation. Her new parents were satisfied with her action and simply reiterated his statement. Yet, here she was cowering, "T'Lar, shall we go and make some tea?" he asked after a pause, knowing if he set the child on a task she was likely to speak with Amanda who was appearing to be both antsy and filled with a renewed buzz of energy.

T'Lar rose from her seat and took her now infected PADD with her, he would speak with the instructor once again about this, but had a feeling he would once again be met with prejudice. T'Lar walked before him, her head hung slightly, her small form clearly showing signs of duress but he from the look in Amanda's eyes she was going to speak with the girl and whatever she wanted to say it had to be important. They slipped into his office, one he hardly ever used and in most cases had served as a place for him to breathe when Soval wasn't embroiled in another conflict. He watched T'Lar sweep over to the side and pull a bowl as well as a tin of tea. Her eyes were downcast, a sign that she truly believed she was about to be punished. Amanda was quiet her eyes never leaving the young girl's form, she was observing the child, and while her expression had been schooled into a mask he noticed her eyes told another story altogether. Amanda leaned against his desk with her hands in her pockets, she looked relaxed and at ease, which was rare considering the circumstances.

"How do you like your new family?" Amanda asked gently, her tone was light and she sounded curious. He wasn't sure if it was a method to defuse the tension or if she was asking because of genuine interest. T'Lar turned to her, her dark eyes upon her as she said, "They are very knowledgeable and have provided all the essentials." Amanda's nose wrinkled, apparently she was interested as she swept a lock of brown hair away from her face, "That wasn't what I asked, do you like them? Do they treat you well? Are you happy?" she asked. The sound of porcelain slamming into the floor and shattering against the hard surface echoed as she stared wide eyed at Amanda. It had not even registered that she had dropped the bowl she was holding in favor of staring at the MACCO in terror. "I do not understand," T'Lar said sternly, "We do not have emotions."

Amanda's eyes widened before a look of pain flickered in them. The MACCO crossed the room before kneeling in front of the child, ignoring the broken porcelain as she sat on her hunches and said, "Yes you do, you feel even more than I do, I just want to know if you're alright. If you think I'm mad," T'Lar flinched violently and Amanda's tone grew even lighter, "I'm not, you did what I would have, and gave us valuable information that we can use to save others." T'Lar's eyes widened as she looked at the MACCO on the floor, even without the uniform Amanda proved to be one of the boldest and wisest of soldiers. She understood the reality of the time they lived. "You are not displeased?" T'Lar asked tentatively, as though Amanda would renege on her decision. Amanda smiled a little as she shook her head, "No, I'm not, in fact, I'm proud of you," she said as she rested a hand on the child's clothed arm, "You were very brave, and risked your life to bring us information. Not everyone is made of the same strong stuff." T'Lar visibly relaxed, her eyes sparkled a little at the praise as Amanda continued, "I do need to know something, the people who had you, where their other children?"

T'Lar went pale and staggered slightly, Amanda was quick to steady her and Suran decided to forgo the tea entirely as he walked over to the pair and decided to follow her lead. In all the days they had attempted to speak with the girl, she had not spoken to them about it, she refused. Amanda hummed softly as she hummed, "It's alright, you are safe here," she added as she looked at the girl before her. Suran sat beside them, ignoring the shards which he so desperately wanted to clean up. "I didn't see their faces, they were human, though. I remember being put in a white room, it was strange they were concerned for our comfort at first, always making sure that we wore fabric that didn't irritate us," she began as she scowled at the floor, "they asked questions, and then asked us to do odd things." Amanda was still, she was being far more patient than he had ever seen her be. She nodded in understanding before asking, "What kind of things?"

A chill slipped through Suran as he watched the girl curl into herself as though she were attempting to make herself less of a target. It was a defensive move, one that was further evidence that she didn't have the opportunities most children had. "Hey, T'Lar, it's okay. No one will hurt you here," Amanda said gently as she fell silent waiting for a moment. Dark eyes filled with a concoction of dread and desire met their gaze, she was at war with herself. Amanda closed her eyes for a moment as she drew a breath and opened her arms. Suran's brows shot up as he watched the MACCO hold her arms out and smile a little, "Come here little one," she whispered, "I won't harm you, you know that. I'll keep the bad guys away too." T'Lar's brown eyes widened before she launched herself at the MACCO, it was a very uncharacteristic display and he listened to the small child whimper. Amanda wrapped her arms around the girl and cooed softly, running her fingers through the girl's light brown hair and whispering, "You're safe T'Lar, you're safe and loved little blue bird."

Never before had he seen a Vulcan surrender before a human, to allow emotion to over run them and cling to a human as though they were all that anchored them to the world. "It's alright, start slow, and at the beginning," she suggested. T'Lar nodded, her hair quickly mussed from Amanda's hold as she began, "It was supposed to be a game, to see who could figure it out the fastest." Amanda nodded as she rested her chin on the child's head her eyes flickered to Suran and he was still. She didn't appear to be a fearless warrior or MACCO but to simply be Amanda, a woman who understood a child's pain. "What kind of game?" asked Amanda gently, her voice sweeping over him, it was similar to when she sang but rather than being suggestive it was supple and soothing, a combination that obviously reduced the tension in T'Lar's shoulders.

Small hands which had been gripping Amanda's crimson tee-shirt slowly loosened, as T'Lar replied, "It was a puzzle, we were supposed to figure out how to access a program. It was surrounded by an advanced security system and was heavily encrypted." Amanda was still as she waited, patience. The Aid watched with interest as Amanda remained strong and steady, his eyes swept over her. To anyone who was unfamiliar with her, this appeared to be something that she could do, something that she was comfortable with, however upon further inspection, the lines around her eyes and the slight purse of the lips indicated that she herself was in distress. Katharine, Suran paused as he realized Amanda had held Katharine after nightmares and the attack, she had been there picking up the pieces of Katharine's life and now she was serving as T'Lar's anchor. Internally he berated himself for not stepping in and assuming the role she had taken, "At first I thought we were just going to get into the system and win the game, but something started to go wrong. Every time we just breached it, the program closed us out and then made it impossible for us to do it again." T'Lar leaned back and knelt before Amanda and Suran, she looked at her hands as she continued, "We never thought it was possible, and neither did the people who had us, so they said they would resort to the second plan."

T'Lar shook a little but Amanda slipped her hand over the girl's wrist and gave it a gentle squeeze, while it was still clothed the gesture grounded her and T'Lar looked hesitantly at Suran. The Aid blinked owlishly, he could see trepidation in her eyes as well as comfort, before she said, "They took the ones who performed the best and did something to them, something that hurt a lot." T'Lar's eyes were glassy and he could feel her resonating fear, her mind was going to tumble into the memory at any moment, one that if he wasn't careful would drown Amanda as well. The only solution was to remove Amanda, and replace her touch with his own. He had fallen into the grips of Soval's mind during his darkest moments, while this was different he didn't believe it to be impossible for a child to possess it. Suran reached out and gently placed his hand in her palms, his larger palms swallowed hers as he curled his fingers around her trembling fingers, "Please, T'Lar, we need to know," he coaxed.

Amanda's eyes widened as she looked at him, he knew this was extremely out of character for the Ambassador's Senior Aid, but so was conversing with a human, protecting the Ambassador while he was in the Arctic Circle, attending the Gala with a female escort, and even his approval of Soval and Katharine's budding relationship. Vulcans were people too, and he smiled as he remembered Kitty Monroe shouting at Soval to cease hiding and for once embrace the fact he was alive. "T'Lar," he breathed as he felt her hands tighten around his. "They selected those of us who got the furthest in the game and brought us to a room filled with silver chairs, they weren't familiar in any way, and I could tell they were a piece of technology," she began her body shaking a little a testament to her terror, "We all thought it was the next round, but instead we were grabbed and held down to the floor by two men, we fought but it didn't matter. There was a pain in our necks and I thought they were going to rip out my spine."

The Ambassador's Aid and the MACCO glanced to one another, the neck was an unusual area. Amanda pulled her hands away and slipped them around the girl's neck, her fingers were feather light and he watched T'Lar stiffen. "It's alright," said Amanda as she closed her eyes, a look of concentration contorted her once stoic features and then shock and recognition. She swept her fingers over the spot several times and froze, "T'Lar, they put something in you, didn't they, what happened next?" Suran was still, invasive surgeries were disastrous if the people doing them were unaware of anatomy. Vulcans were unlike humans in that they had a number of nerves and pressure points, someone had aided them as doing something that would involve potentially killing a Vulcan especially a child would not be as quick as T'Lar made it sound or as simple. "They put us in the silver chairs, and strapped us in. I tried to get away but I was stuck in the neck with a needle and my body didn't listen, they gave us some blue fluid and I passed out," she explained.

They were experimenting, whoever the where at least that was what it sounded like. "Did they want to learn about you as a people?" asked Amanda, it was startling how in tune she was with his inner line of questioning. T'Lar shook her head and Suran felt something cold settle in his stomach, "No, I woke up in such a strange place," her voice was lined with wonder as her eyes lit up. That wasn't what he expected, he thought it would be pain and torture, only she commented it being strange and seemed enthralled by it. "How was it strange, T'Sai?" Suran asked he watched her sit up and smiled a little, she brightened almost immediately before saying quickly, "I was among the stars," her hands flew out and he blinked. Among the stars, he had heard of Virtual Reality but nothing that simulated Zero Gravity and space. "It was so different, I could see nebulas, planets, and so many stars," she gushed, "I didn't understand until I saw a man walk toward me I thought he was just a part of the game."

"He wasn't?" asked Amanda in utter confusion.

Virtual Realities were computer generated and from the sound of the technology that was what she had been placed in. Now it appeared as though she was something else entirely, "Nope, he wasn't. In fact, he made it clear not to tell anyone else. He wasn't supposed to be there, but he wanted to talk to me. He said I had something to do for him and if I did it I would be safe and be able to get away," she explained. T'Lar stared at her hands and Suran began to question what had happened in this world, as she always stared at them. "I asked if they could come if the others could leave," she said in a small voice, "He said it was impossible, they were dead the moment the Silver Fish was put in." Silver Fish, he knew of insects called such on Earth but had never heard of a piece of technology called Silver Fish. Soval might have, he had spent more time with Forrest than anyone and he was one of the few who were well versed in terran technology, the only other source would have been Commander Stark but no one could locate him.

"I didn't want to leave them, but he said if I was going to protect other children I had to go. We did this for a few months, every time I was in the chair I met with him and he told me the plan and simulated it, I thought it was a trap until I asked him why he wanted me to escape," T'Lar paused and looked at Amanda, her eyes bore into the woman who had stated with resolve that she would not harm her. "He said, 'I have to make sure that she will still take a risk and a leap of faith,'" she quoted. Amanda was genuinely confused and Suran paused, risks, "The Crystal Palace and Russian Roulette, the Aurora Borealis and the Yukon, the Leap of Faith and the code," he said in realization. His eyes widened as he looked at the girl before them, Stark, that was the only person who knew of all those things, who would know of leaps of faith and risks. "What did this man look like?" asked Suran rapidly, his voice growing eager as his entire body was on alert. Stark wasn't dead, he didn't know how he did it, but if anyone could beat the system it would be him.

Amanda appeared confused as T'Lar arched a brow, looking oddly confused, as though he had asked the strangest question. He knew it sounded insane and months ago he would never contemplate it, but currently he was going to, he was going to take a leap after all even if it was impossible but was all that remained after elimination it had to be the truth, no matter how obscure it was. "He had dark chestnut hair it was curly, he was 190 centimeters tall, with black stubble, a pronounced nose, and tanned skin. His eyes were green, with gold in them," she said, "He was dressed in a suit and always had a cup of coffee." All of was identical with the exception of the eyes, "Don't you mean blue?" asked Suran eagerly, if they could figure out where she had been they would be a step closer to finding Commander Stark. T'Lar tilted her head to the side, she was clearly in thought as she responded slowly, "They might have been, it was fast and he sounded worried." Obviously whatever had transpired the other didn't have much time to get the message across, for fear of being detected. Virtual reality wasn't her first choice, and she didn't know a thing about it, the person who might have an idea was Kate, she was the one with the experience advanced coding. Amanda wasn't even sure where to begin, it was so far out of her league she began to wonder if even Kate would be able to figure it out.

The MACCO shook her head, no Katharine could, she had tracked the worm, managed to break into systems undetected, and even unwind other complex codes, if she could do that, then there was a high possibility of her figuring out just what they did to T'Lar. "What happened after he told you what to do?" Suran asked after a pause, knocking Amanda from her musings. The brunette looked back down at the girl who was looking at the hem of one of the sleeves of her robe. Her lip was between her teeth and Amanda could tell she was still just as confused. "He got the chair to release me and threw me out of the program, I don't know where the men were that strapped us in. Someone entered the coordinates for me, I think it was the man from the machine," she said, "I used it an landed in that strange building, one of the screens told me to take your PADD and move data to it."

Then they were back at the part that all of them were well aware of. Amanda hummed and was about to ask for a better description when she noticed Suran was holding a black tablet in his hands. He swept his fingers over the screen and held it out to her, "Is this him?" he asked. Amanda smiled a little at the picture of Commander Nathanial Carter-Stark, he was attractive but also quite the scholar and probably knew more about technology than even Katharine. T'Lar shook her head and responded, "He was older looking." Suran's eyebrows shot up in total confusion, the image he had was the most recent and Amanda had seen enough photos of the commander to recognize him in an instant. Yet, the one she met was older, it wasn't unusual for characteristics to be altered in programs, "Suran, how tall is the Commander?" Amanda asked. It was an unusual question, however, he had long since learned not to question a MACCO when they are in mid thought. It was clear she was following a train of thought not even they had ventured into. "183 centimeters," he responded only to pause, a human would be off, but Vulcans were more observant and precise.

"Suran search Doctor Nathan Carter-Stark," she said slowly, she had a hunch. It made sense that she would ask to show the child the image of the Commander's father as he was similar in appearance. It was the probability that she had met him that was alarming. The way T'Lar had described him it wasn't as though he were a program, but one of them, locked in those chairs. Suran pulled up the file and turned the tablet to the child. Instantly T'Lar's eyes lit up, "That's him!" Amanda stared at Suran, he had no idea how or why Doctor Nathan Carter-Stark was even in the machine. "How is that even possible?" she asked slowly, "Could someone model a program after him?" Suran looked just as puzzled as he placed the tablet on the table, the descriptions matched completely, leaving no question as to just that was there, the question was more of what the girl had met.

Yet, with what Katharine had said about the technology it could be an imprint. Suran was heading toward the door and called for Yuris before thinking. Irritation rolled through him, for every answer they received an even greater number of questions and now as tensions ran high it appeared that they were entangled in an even more complex conflict than previously thought. Amanda decided to follow and brought T'Lar along as they swept through the halls, "Find T'Vok," he snapped at another aid as he swept through his strides were rapid as his robes flared behind him. He had to see what a Silver Fish was and tell Katharine, if there was anyone who could figure it out she would, after all she had been left this puzzle to begin with.

~~vOv~~

It is impossible to determine the time while lost in VR, as time is irrelevant in the mind. Of course the machine knows how long a player is engaged, and even their score, but in VR no one dreams as the dream is reality. It isn't uncommon to experience symptoms of fatigue, a loss of time and sense of reality when trapped within the machine, he remembered the harsh words as a child after being forced to accept the Silver Fish. Nathanial's body ached from disuse and they kept him submerged longer each time, these periods dulled his sense of reality as he continued to tread water. Trapped inside rooms with walls and commanded to design weapons, improve programs and even explore possibilities. Everything was collapsing inwards and he hissed in agony as he felt time wearing on.

He needed a rest, the abuse was beyond the point of return, after the incident with Ashan he hadn't been pulled out of the system to the point he began to wonder if the other was a dream. Nathanial allowed his mind to wander, away from the program and to what he prayed would be safer. He had seen enough of watching Paxton win and Terra Prime begin to conquer all people. Falling, the sensation was irritating but in this moment it was welcome. All he wanted was an end, he had been stuck in a silver chair as a child. Nathanial wasn't a fool he knew that Admiral Forrest, who had been one of the people to put the program to an end had also been a supporter. Yet, he didn't blame him, after having seen what interactions with a computer as powerful could produce. He had long since forgiven the Admiral and even enjoyed his company, it had been Forrest and Soval who had saved him.

These people, they were destroying him and whoever else was hooked up. He continued to fall, his mind wandering as he did so. "Such a grim outlook, and lazy technique," commended a deep voice. Nathanial's eyes opened to see his elder staring back at him, the falling had stopped. The elder man was hovering above him, his green eyes held a spark of mirth as he smiled. "Come now, you haven't condemned us yet, have you?" he asked as he sat up. Once again they were in a meadow, it was apparently one of his ancestors' favorite places, the reason he didn't know and had a feeling he never would. Nathanial's eyes narrowed as he snarked, "What do you want?" The physicist glared at him as he lay back on the grass, his tall form taking up a great deal of space and he folded his arms behind his head. Doctor Stark was thin and well muscled, it was an unusual sight on one of the most brilliant minds but from what he had learned of his ancestor, this wasn't unheard of.

The taller man shrugged as he crossed his legs and responded, "Same as you, a way out, but moping and predicting Armageddon won't help us." Nathanial whipped around and stared at the man whose eyes were closed and was currently humming something. The Commander crossed his arms, each and every time the man before him was even more frustrating. "I've told you a number of times, we aren't limited here, that in fact, here we are the most dangerous you just have to tap it," he chided, his tone was laced with irritation. He could remember the number of times he had been told such things but didn't understand it. When he had been trapped the first time there wasn't a way out, they made sure of it. The only reason he escaped was because of an odd door. Yet, he couldn't even conjure it in this one. "It's not that simple this time, they didn't have the brains to write the base code, they are using the most primitive approach," he remarked as he slowly turned his head to the youngest of the pair.

Blue eyes fell on green ones and he hissed, "What?" Nathan rolled his eyes as he sat up, the physicist was clearly not a fan of repeating himself and while the Commander could understand it, at the same time this was beyond his realm. "You are my legacy and you keep thinking so two dimensionally it's obnoxious. This system wasn't created by them, and their coding is so simple that you're over thinking it," he stated as he conjured up a black command box. His fingers danced tracing the patterns, "So primitive that I could get the lovely doctor into a research crew in the high security sector," he remarked. Ashan, he knew of her, which wasn't odd but the fact that he had moved her to one of the most dangerous parts of the facility had unnerved him. The younger watched the elder as he tapped his toe, "Our world is dictated by binary code and stores in servers. In here, we hold the power," he stated. The Commander was confused as the elder got up, he swept his hands over his trousers and huffed. An annoyed expression twisted his features as he said, "You are one of the toughest skulls I've had to crack and that's including Jack, which certainly says something." The Commander growled as he crossed his arms, "What the hell does that mean?" he asked.

He watched as the Physicist smirked, the world shifted in a blur, "You're untouchable in here, we both are," he hinted as he lifted his fingers, "We can manipulate systems all around us." Nathan's attention shifted to the man as his fingers swept through the air sending a command to the ship's cooling systems, and another to observe Ashan. His eyes widened as he got to examine parallel notes that were slipping past them with ease, "Here we have power," he remarked. Nathan watched as the elder effortlessly hacked eight systems at once to gather information, he stared in shock at this as the man's fingers flew with grace. "We have power over all of them," he stated as the Commander watched a security feed, a pipe burst and in a flash the compartment was flooding. He stared at the jet of water appearing out of the wall, only to see a code appear next to him and he noticed the pressure gage. "You did that," he said slowly as he stared at the commands, "You over loaded the pipes, for what reason?" he asked.

A shiver ran through the Commander he didn't think they had any power in this place, only the odd shifting in time that he had seen but to learn that this was also within their realm. To affect the outside world, "To prove a point so that when I show you this," he said as his hand swept away the footage of the hallway, "You'd realize just where you are," the Commander's blue eyes fell on the screen before him. He watched it play, at first he didn't understand until he watched a child with pointed ears get tackled to the floor. Terror ran through him at the glimmer of silver, its long body and tangle of legs was unmistakable. The young girl was trapped as her skin was cut away on the nape of her neck, the device squirmed and shimmered in the light. It's node like body was twisting delicately as though it were a ribbon, and the Commander's stomach churned as he watched it slip under her skin and the subtlety of a bump as it moved about. A scream left her lips and Nathanial closed his eyes, he could feel the fiery pain seeping through his own skin, it was consuming as he felt something invade his world, the sting which turned to burning as it wrapped its nodes around the brainstem and began to invade it.

"Watch," commanded the physicist.

The Commander wanted to look away but forced himself to watch as the girl was strapped to a chair and connected to it. He had been in those seats and knew just what was going to happen to her, yet didn't understand why this was important he already knew the pain. The girl was still and he watched her eyelids flicker as she was cast deep into suspension. He was about to shout at the Physicist when he watched her jerk out of the lock, her eyes wide in shock as she tore out the coolant. "That's impossible," he whispered as she left the chair, her eyes wide with panic. The cameras followed the small girl as he watched her run to the familiar transport room, the coordinates of the Star Fleet Headquarters were entered. Nathanial's lips parted curiously as he watched the girl vanish. The feed should have ended there, but it didn't.

They followed her to a hallway in Star Fleet, where the lights were bright. "You can reach other systems beyond this base?" he asked in awe as he watched the girl read directions on a consol and snatch a PADD belonging to a brunette he had heard was an associate's of Katharine's. "I have been working very hard to put an end to TAPP,I didn't think you would end up in here with me, however now that there are two of us we can help one another," Doctor Stark stated as he folded his arms and looked at the Commander, his dark hair was spiked as always but his green eyes had acquired a new light, something not even the Commander recognized. His world was shifting as he came to the alarming realization that not only could they move forward and even aid one another in the future, but it was possible to reach the outside world.

His eyes widened as he asked, "Just how long have you been here? All these events are tied to you," he said quickly. The Physicist nodded as he turned his attention to the still monitor, the girl was running around a corner in an attempt to escape after going as instructed. "In this particular place, not long, but I've been known to take many shapes," he replied with a knowing smile. The Commander's brow furrowed once again he was being enigmatic, he hadn't heard of this before and questioned just what the man knew. Years ago he would have never been thrown back into TAPP and now he was strapped in with one of the only people he had ever met that could beat it, yet didn't know how to get out. "Getting out isn't as simple as getting in. I can release the girl, but releasing you is impossible. They have manual locks on us, obviously, they were aware of just who you where when the snatched you," the Physicist supplied. Horrible news, not to mention the fact they were using Vulcans, obviously they had learned where the compatibility had come from, the issue was now how they would be able to stop it without shutting it down, not to mention they were unable to breach the system.

"I've been working on breaking through the walls for a while, it's what the worm was for the first time," the Physicist supplied. The Commander hummed, it explained why the worm was so vicious, "What happened?" the Commander asked curiously, obviously things had not gone according to plan. The Elder snorted as he continued working, his fingers pulling elaborate lines of code into existence as he did so. "Simple, I was forced to outrun something that had been created in an attempt to recreate the original," he replied, his tone was solemn and the ring of defeat resounded inside the Commander. He knew all too well what such a thing tasted like. "So you allowed it to target Earth's Systems and attack the Vulcan Consulate?" he asked. The elder quickly whipped around his green eyes narrowed dangerously as he took a defensive stance. His eyes held pure ire and a desire to destroy like no other, it was as though he was falling into turbulent green fires. "It wasn't designed to do that, or commanded to. It was just supposed to get their attention, and yours. It must have gotten a hold of it," he hissed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, his shoulders tensing into a line as the elder pinched his eyes closed. For the first time since the Commander arrived he could believe the man before him was a man and not a program or a deity of some form. "It must have detected it, and here I thought I had managed to fool it," the stress in his voice was thick to the point the younger of the pair wondered if the man was going to break.

The Commander watched keenly as the weary scientist heaved a sigh, "If it knows we are in the system this is extremely bad because I don't want it to find us," he mumbled as he turned his attention to the code weaving before his eyes. The Commander arched a brow, in this system it should have been obvious where they were, they had been tossed into it by Terra Prime. To be hiding in it would be impossible, there wasn't a way they could hide in TAPP, it had monitors built into it. "This isn't the same system you were in, they didn't have all the material and codes to make it work, these two tables are part of the surviving thirteen they managed to find," Stark supplied snarkily, "These were thrown together in haste, which means they lack sophistications and organization." The Commander paused if they were missing those elements it also meant, they didn't have safeties or releases either, a thought that terrified him. Those safeties were in place to prevent people from being lobotomized, which meant they were also using the oldest version of coolant.

He shuddered in revolution as he remembered the crude cocktail of suppressants and enhancers, which were coupled with powerful narcotics and hallucinogens. It was a nauseating concoction that made nearly all of the test subjects lose track of reality or damage their organs. "They are using this stuff on Vulcan kids?" he asked slowly, his stomach churning as he realized they were trapped in the system as well. The Physicist nodded as he glanced at the Commander, "Who do you think is behind the wall?" That made sense, however there was still the question as to what they were running from, something that even he didn't understand. As a child he knew he had contributed to a major project, but near could find a scrap of research associated with it. Even the researchers had all but vanished resulting in him relinquishing the notion that he would ever truly know why he was subjected to what he had been. The Physicist stopped, "You are distracting," he snapped, his tone was as sharp as steel, a reminder of just who he was dealing with.

The Commander stepped back with his hands up in surrender only to earn a huff from the elder Stark as he slowly stepped away from the interface. "I supposed I owe you some form of an explanation, after all, you were dragged into this as a result of our work," he paused for a moment as he ran his hand through his hair, "for now all you need to know is something that myself, Doctor Allison Blake and Doctor Kevin West created are battling a replica, one that desires to replace it." The physicist shifted slightly, nervous as he seemed to contemplate how to explain the past so that it would supply the Commander with enough information to work with, without further complicating it. "We were working to improve the world, to chance how we protected people and predicted attacks, to do so we created something faster, with a computing power that would out-stretch our own by eons. Something that would be able to protect society from its self," he began, "it did that, and more."

The elder slowly began to pace, the motion of it seemed to calm the restless man as his eyes glared at the path before his shoes. "We didn't intend for it to grow out of control, it wasn't out intention. This program transformed into something remarkable, something sentient," Stark said softly, "it became she." The Commander's jaw dropped, the man before him had been dead for a century, which means a century before that very moment he had created something that everyone believed was impossible. "What's her name?" asked the Commander in pure shock, the words falling from his lips before he even gave them permission to do so.

"Sentinel," was the Physicist's reply as he returned to work.

Attention, the worm was meant to get his attention but he had a feeling there was someone else who had to see it. Someone else who it was meant for, "Who else was the worm meant to attract that attention of?" asked the Commander, he had to know. He wouldn't have used something so drastic if it wasn't to attract that attention of Star Fleet, but there was more to it. Someone in Star Fleet, "Katharine, you need Forrest, why?" he asked quickly. She was the only one he had met who was going to end up falling into the mess after finding the bomber who was responsible for several incidents, including the old UN building. The same man who had also attacked the Vulcan Ambassador, who had been identified as an agent for Terra Prime.

Doctor Stark grinned as he replied knowingly, "She's met us before."

The Commander allowed the conversation to die despite the burning questions that sat on his tongue and the desire to know just what they were running from and how a young MACCO knew about something he couldn't even fathom.

~~vOv~~

There is something to be said for public buildings when the night has slipped in and their occupants have all left, allowing for it to finally slip sleeping. Hallways of the complex which were usually filled with people suddenly were barren and the lighting had been extinguished. The wind slipped through the abandoned court yard and Katharine shivered slightly, she had been in a number of empty places during her training, but the current issue was that she had been instructed to meet Admiral Gardner, only to learn that he had long since gone home. The very notion that someone would meet her in the deserted place was enough to piqué her interest. Each step echoed as she moved through the brick and grass courtyard. There were several benches on either side and a large tree in the middle, its leaves acquired a surreal blue hue as the moon hung above.

With a sigh she settled on a bench, knowing all too well that there was one thing left to do, to attempt to open the cube and solve the puzzle. While the cipher was perhaps the most sophisticated pieces of technology she had ever come in contact with, she began to wonder why it seemed familiar. No one else had gotten far with it, no one had even scratched the surface and yet she was able to understand portions of it. She had figured out the weapon's signatures, she knew they were copies of a recording, one of a ship in perfect condition. She had taken apart the code and even played with the worm. In her spare time, she had examined as much of the code as she could. Over time, she had identified sequences and examined the root only to have a sense of déjà vu each time she dove further into the code.

Katharine pulled out her black tablet and the cube when she heard the sound of her ear piece hit the bench. She sighed placing the cube to the side in favor of picking up her delicate ear piece, replacing it would be a challenge as she didn't even know where she stood with Star Fleet. While the letter to Soval made her sound like a criminal she was also well aware that it could change. Her fingers wrapped around the silver device and she placed it on the bench, only to notice the button on top of the cube. She drew a breath as she pressed it and pulled up the puzzle. She could feel energy curling around her, at first, it was disorienting as it was normally a sign of malfunction, only then she noticed a blue band around the cube appear, an indication light.

Hesitantly her fingers hovered above it, she could feel it's energy tingle against her fingers as she did so, it was cool and familiar. The same electricity that ran through her whenever she worked with a phaser or on one of GD's systems, it brought back memories of the gifts sent to her from the elusive Commander as well as her father, interesting gadgets and bits of code. A prompt box appeared with a simple question, "Do you wish to open this program?" Internally she was at war with herself if it was a trap her only weapon against Gardner would be destroyed, but if it wasn't if it was something she could use the key, then she would have something even greater. The technology was familiar after working with Global Dynamics programs as well as devises over time, and she had managed to understand portions of the worm. These portions were small, but as she was the only person in the world who had figured it out she had a sinking feeling this cube was meant for the person who had figured it out.

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few," she whispered as she made her decision.

Kate's fingers swept over the keys, her mind still reeling as she looked over the cipher and waited for the key to being uploaded, her heart was racing, and she could hear it echo in her ears as she continued to work in the puzzle that she had been presented with. The file was large and she stared at the bar that appeared, it was so large it managed to bog down her tablet.

As the bar continued to fill Katharine allowed her mind to wander back to Soval, this was their last night together, and yet she was sitting there working on a code. There were a number of things she wished to do, none of them were appropriate for a MACCO charged with protecting the Ambassador. She was a Major who had been tasked with his protection after High Command had learned of Sarek's actions with the ship and the way in which events seemed to be unfurling on Earth, they had decided the best course of action was to recall the Ambassador to Vulcan. They hadn't learned of the Ambassador assisting her in hacking several mainframes; however it was a matter of time before such knowledge would be in their grasp. They were losing, and the cipher and key had yet to illuminate the situation. Perhaps all of Stark's magic and puzzles had run out, it may have all been a wild goose chase.

She looked up at the quad, her orders had come directly from Star Fleet Command, and her superiors had decided to end her assignment to the Ambassador and Vulcan as soon as he left the planet. The Andorians were attempting to find a way to demand that Soval remains on Earth, but she knew no amount of argument would sway the Minister, T'Pau was far too stringent, Kuvak would bend but never T'Pau. Kate sighed as she ran her fingers through her long blond hair and looked up at the sky, only for her eyes to fall on the eerie glow of a blue security feed band. They were all over the city, the advanced method of securing it, the technology was from Global Dynamics, prior to their contract termination and the introduction of PRION. It was odd, for such an advanced laboratory PRION had not changed all the cameras, the strip was useful and she herself had always known how to access the system.

She rested her black PADD on her jean clad knee and slipped her hands into her pockets of her leather jacket. Soval had asked her to avoid donning the uniform until he was about to board his ship, he wanted her to look as she felt comfortable most. It was an odd request, then again since the gala and the incident which had followed it was no surprise.

She was ripped from her musings when the blue band flickered, her brow furrowed in confusion, the security bands never flickered – even if the technology was old. Instantaneously she was on her PADD, only to notice something had hijacked her. "Shit," she hissed as she attempted to stop it, only to pause, it was solving the puzzle, whatever it was, it was helping her. "W-What?" she stammered as she watched it finish the puzzle and heard a chirp. Brilliant blue eyes fell on a silver ear piece, resting beside her on the dark green bench. The blue triangular light on the side flashed urgently, no one was calling her, her communicator wasn't flashing, only the ear piece. Tentatively she picked it up and slipped it over her ear, she could feel the cool plastic against her skin and listen against the static. "Hello?" she asked, it sounded insane, but something in the back of her head reminded her that regardless of how odd it was, she had seen far more unusual from Stark and GD.

She sighed and was about to give up when the screen on her PADD turned black and bright white letters appeared, it wasn't a messenger item she had installed and she watched a line appear. There wasn't a username or any form of identification and Kate instinctively began to search for it. The absence of a prompt box caused ice to settle in her veins, it meant someone was watching and listening to her.

**Hello, Major Katharine Samantha Forrest.**

Her eyes narrowed as she began to search the plaza, no one knew she had gone to Star Fleet, except for Amanda, and she wasn't much of a programmer. "Who are you?" she asked urgently, as her pale hands seem to glow in the moonlight they hovered just above the screen. The line appeared quickly, it appeared as though someone was typing to her.

**An interested party.**

That she had a difficult time believing, as far as she could tell, everyone was against her, including Star Fleet. Even though the Andorian's appeared to be helping, in reality, she knew Ambassador Krim would be more than happy to see Soval forced back to his home world. Amanda was naturally doing all she could, but she was as limited as Kate, the decision had been made, and now they were stuck dealing with it. "I doubt it, there isn't a single person in my corner right now," she stated with ire. Amanda was going to abandon her soon, it was too dangerous and Kate couldn't blame her. Amanda was the one who was always stuck putting pieces of her back together, it wasn't fair to her.

**We are.**

Her eyes welled up as she battled with herself at the memory of Soval bowing his head and accepting the metaphorical back-hand, only to whisper he had no options left. She didn't believe it, "I don't know who you are, but unless you can solve the cipher, it's finished. I can't save them," she ranted to the empty air, "We don't even know what's going on fully."

There was a pause and she sighed, it was foolish to think a stranger would be on her side. Stark's place had been raided and the brilliant man was snatched from his lab. She was literally out of cards.

**Solved.**

She froze and watched the screen flash before her eyes, it was being solved before her eyes, every notion fell into place naturally. It was key, the key had given her a key, "What is this to?" she asked as she looked at the program, it was a driver. She had seen plenty of them to know it was a large one for a very advanced program. "I don't get it, Stark said it held the answers, but now all I have is a massive driver with no clue as to what it's for," she seethed more riddles. The sand was out of the hourglass, and again she had another riddle.

She paused and realized Soval hadn't ordered the tablets, neither had Suran, they had asked for them from GD. She could remember the conversation, Suran had opened up the page and there was a single option to purchase three of the same tablets. They were blank, not a single thing in them, she had to load hers.

**The driver is for me. We are the answer.**

Kate felt her skin go cold and ice settle in her stomach.

**We are what they have been hiding, what Doctor Nathan Stark, Doctor Allison Blake M.D. and Doctor Kevin West have created.**

Her lips parted, she had heard all of those names, and Nathan Stark was one of the brilliant minds that had made ships like the Enterprise possible. He had designed her, as well as Jack Carter-Stark. Allison Blake was renowned for her work on neurosciences and connectors, however, West was a name she had never heard. It was odd to see it in line with the rest and she asked, "Who is Kevin West?"

**The Creator of us and TAPP.**

"TAPP?" she asked as she searched her memory for anything about it. Soval had mentioned it at the Gala, he was vague and claimed it was a way for humans to link up to servers and was scared of the aspect of it. However, it did little in allowing her to understand its function. "Us?" she asked after a moment they had used the royal plural.

There was more than one.

**TAPP was the first step to our creation.**

Confusion seemed to wrap around her senses as she watched code flicker across her screen, it was similar to the worm and what had been found in the Enterprise. "What the...? How? Where?" she asked as she watched it transform before her eyes, adapting, advancing and evolving. Her eyes were locked on the screen, it was elegant and complex, and it was alive. She knew it was alive, but thought it was a brainwave unless it was that and more.

Kate quickly opened another program and stared, it was more than the organic ripples of thought, and she realized she had seen the code. Even in college, she had seen it in Star Fleet, in the Embassy, in libraries, security systems of PRION and even government systems. It was always there, in the background, noise. At least she thought it was noise as did everyone else. It wasn't, it never was.

"Where are you?"

**Everywhere.**

**Listening with millions of Ears,**

**Watching with billions of Eyes.**

The security strip. She jumped up and looked at the security strip, and then to the PADD, they had hacked the security feeds, but it didn't explain it all, she should have never seen the code everywhere. It was on nearly every device she touched, every application she ran and traces of it were even on the Enterprise. Whoever they were they were certainly good, they were gods compared to her. Kate wasn't a religious person, but whoever was doing this was a god, and couldn't possibly be a man. Yet, she could shake the feeling she was missing something crucial, something that only she knew.

The familiar base code, the worm, it wasn't that unfamiliar, she had simply forgotten it. She froze, and remembered the one time her father yelled at her, it was something she would never forget. It was as though it had haunted her, ever since, "The memory Lattice from Middle School," she whispered. It had come in a box from an archivist in Tulsa; they had never seen it before and wanted assistance analyzing it. Her father had left it on his desk and she was curious. She had heard him speak of technology like it once before, he had marveled at the work of GD, but the group in Tulsa didn't have anything to read it. Her father had borrowed an adapter to his unit in the house, it was set up, but he had yet to open it.

She remembered peaking around the corner to watch her father sigh and get up after her mother had shouted at him. Kate didn't usually sneak into her father's study, but this time, curiosity had won her over. They were talking about some of the things Global Dynamics had developed and after having heard about their innovations, she had wondered just what they could do. She even thought it possible to share it with others.

She slipped into the high-backed red leather chair and turned on the unit. With ease, she hooked the golden lattice in and watched the blue light on the top blink on.

The lattice was enormous, the largest she had ever seen, even if she wouldn't realize it until later. It was larger than a logic diamond, and far faster than any server. The code had flickered across the screen then, and now she remembered it. She never did find out what was on it, other than it was advanced and her father had said something odd after she had opened the program. The familiarity with the code, it was why she could battle it the first time and figure out how to trap it.

**You let us out. Thank you.**

Now she shivered, she had let it out, she had released whatever it was on the lattice, it had followed her all her life. Only now did she have a chance to look at it up close.

"What are you?"

The cursor was blinking, all her life she had been silently pushed here, it wasn't just her father. This was a long game, one longer than she even knew. There was a reason she had gotten into Star Fleet with ease, she had gotten all the assignments, been promoted to Major, had access to systems, she was always where she needed to be at the time she was needed. This included the square when the Ambassador had arrived, she never received a note from Gardner, she had been sent a notification, yet Gardner hadn't sent it. He didn't even know who did.

It wanted her to voice it. To say what she thought was impossible.

"AI. That's what Stark had refined, an AI."

She watched the cursor leap to life as it replied.

**Yes.**

Stark had done the impossible, and something illegal, and AI that clearly was so entwined in the systems of the planet, that it was able to adapt and slip into anything it came in contact with. It would explain why PRION had forced everyone out of the security market and technology market, "They're looking for you. You are the reason PRION took over, TAPP years ago, they were looking for you the entire time," she stated, it wasn't a question if this technology existed PRION would kill to obtain it. "How?" she asked.

**What every system needs.**

Kate ran a hand over her face as she looked at the blue band, to make eye contact in an odd way. "Security, they created security protocols and if they forced everyone out, they would have the monopoly. It's trying to find you and kill you because you have access to everything. If they do that, they have total control of more than just us," she stated. PRION had embassies install drivers for access to the building's network, and use of servers. In a sense, they had all allowed for PRION to root its way into systems.

Yet, the AI had as well, it was ingenuities, Vulcan security was nearly impenetrable, but it would explain the worm. "Why send the worm?" she asked after a beat, it was one in the same code.

**I was forced.**

It had switched to the singular, now she was confused and watched as it continued.

**I was goaded into doing so, while in TAPP. Guardian had nothing to do with it.**

One of them was forced, the worm wasn't what they wanted, and it was forced onto one of them. The one named Guardian had nothing to do with it, but she had no idea what the other one was called.

**Leave the square.**

**You Are Not Alone.**

Confusion swept across her features as she lowered her PADD and noticed a flash across the court yard, she wasn't alone and she felt the hairs on her neck stand on end. She knew she was being watched by the Guardian and its cohort, however, this was different. She felt more exposed, she was well aware that regardless of her next move she wasn't in a good position, she was sitting in the middle of the quad, without a single thing for protection. She was quick to begin running only for a voice in her ear to say,  _"Take a left,"_  she was about to question it but did as it commanded,  _"Hold for thirty seconds,"_  it instructed. Kate was about to argue when she noticed men marching through and yet they couldn't see her. "What?" she asked in confusion. She had thought she knew better, it didn't make sense how they were unable to see her.  _"I have altered the feeds, I suggest you move now Major Forrest,"_ it commanded.

Kate took its advice in stride, her movements were swift as he shoes slammed against the stone covered walkway. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she ran from the people that would kill her if given a chance. Everything was a mess in her mind to the point she shut it out and allowed the mysterious and nameless AI to guide her. All she knew was she had to reach Soval, only now did she have something powerful enough to bring down Terra Prime and portions of star fleet.

~~vOv~~

The feeling of worn pages between the Captain's fingers was familiar. The leather bound journal served as a reminder that not all was as it appeared, the further he read the more he began to realize that even the best of people had terrible secrets. TAPP was one of the worst he had heard of yet, but now he had come to realize that this game wasn't just old but the number of players involved was Gardener than even he knew. They were seeking a Major with a surname that started with the letter G, one that was attached to Sentinel, which he still didn't have a clue what it was. Archer turned the page and finally allowed his curiosity to override his sense of duty to protect the man's memory. He wouldn't have given them the journal if he didn't want them to know. If it wasn't essential.

He stared curiously the date at the top of the entry was blank, and it had been scribbled in haste. "What?" he asked as he tentatively turned the page only to discover the rest of the pages were blank, this was the final entry. He had read about the man's life and suddenly he realized the journal had been abandoned and only retrieved for one purpose, to tell them what had occurred, and just where to look. "Trip, T'Pol, Sarek," he called as he lifted his glasses and placed them on his nose, if this was the final entry he believed they had a right to hear it. This entry was the last thing the man wrote before his death and could actually tell them what he knew and who really was involved in killing him. As it was impossible that V'Las would blow up the embassy over such a simple reason, not after all of the complicated information he had just learned. The three appeared with Malcolm and Hoshi in tow, he had a feeling they would follow regardless of his instructions, and not that he could fault them. His ship had been dragged into a decades old battle with a radical group on their home world they didn't even know existed. The starship captain steeled himself, alarms rang in his head that if he did not he wouldn't be able to finish the entry.

" _It's lose, after we had gone through the struggle of finding a way to store it and lock it away so that Terra Prime and King couldn't grab it, we lost it. I had received it as planned from a group of researchers in Tulsa, and was going to lock it away in the safe. The Lattice was larger than I expected, and oddly some of the most advanced I had ever seen, I believed memory diamonds to be an innovation, the lattice was large but its storage capacity was even greater. Sentinel fit, just barely, but it was good enough to prevent damaged code from happening. The Lattice was originally in GD, however with all of the activity involving Terra Prime and PRION it has become apparent that leaving it in the old Laboratory wasn't an option._

_After pulling the Lattice from the box Gardner arrived, he was rather persistent in seeing me immediately. I left the Lattice on the desk in favor of going to meet Captain Gardner of the Endeavor. He had been insisting that we focus on the development of new technologies and encouraging the use of PRION, I myself do not agree with the company. Recently he has been very secretive and eluded to a project that would lead to the creation of something more powerful than any torpedo, and far more unpredictable. As we spoke he referenced the work of Doctor Stark, Doctor West and Doctor Blake, TAPP. He knows something and I'm willing to bet that he is the Major who was on the sheet for tracking down Sentinel using Vastator. I had come across the project when PRION had offered us the chance to view their latest works, I wasn't supposed to delve as deep as I did._

_After finding Vastator which was a crude imitation of Sentinel, one that was violent, impossible to predict and extremely fast, it became apparent that we had to protect the original. If they managed to merge Sentinel's Root with that of Vastator it would be impossible to stop the program from all but destroying us. So far it has over thrown major systems, including health care, the only way we can prevent it from becoming even more deadly is to hide the one program that works._

_Unfortunately, Katharine was at my desk doing homework, apparently there was a class speaker who had told them about Memory Lattices. Curiosity got the better of her and she plugged it in, apparently after it had been loaded, once it was on an open machine it became possible for Sentinel to get lose. Katharine had taken a look at the code, I caught her as she watched it leave, and her eyes were glued to the screen. I don't know if she will remember it, but from how dazed she looked I can tell she will become a brilliant programmer, and even hacker some day._

_We have lost the one thing that will allow us to win, and now all we can do is hope that Sentinel has a plan beyond uploading its self to the internet. I can't find it anywhere, it isn't in Starfleet and doesn't seem to exist in any other server._

_I haven't told Soval, and won't until it's time. It is not that I don't trust him, however, if this will work, we must follow Sentinel's lead. It left a note on the screen before vanishing, one that will be forever etched into my memory:_

**_THANK YOU KATHARINE SAMANTHA FORREST._ **

**_WE WILL MEET AGAIN SOON._ **

_I did not want her in this fight, but Sentinel has selected her as its champion."_

Archer paused for a moment as he noticed the date of the last entry, it was an amendment made to the first and this one had been dated for the last day he was on Earth, and probably the last time he would see Katharine before his death. His blood turned to ice as he closed his eyes for a moment, in respect for the man he had come to admire, even more so after reading the pages of the journal which were to serve them as a guide.

The Captain opened his eyes slowly and looked to each person in the room. He could see the trepidation in their eyes, not only had they just learned that it was possible to create an AI but that there were two in existence. These two powerful entities were at war with one another in an attempt to destroy each other. "They created two full functioning AIs," Trip remarked, his blue eyes were wide with awe at the notion, "Stark, Blake, West, they created a God." Disbelief colored his tone as the truth of who was playing against one another came to light, it wasn't a biological person, it was a set of machines, the consciousness that had been born from code and allowed to evolve.

Sarek was still, his dark eyes were resting on the journal, "We have not even achieved such a feat, it was believed impossible to create artificial intelligence, and something that was sentient," he mused, "Yet, and you did." His dark eyes rested on the captain before tracing over each individual before him, "A fledgling race on the outer rim of a galaxy billions of light years from ours, had managed the impossible." T'Pol was silent but the lack of response was evidence that even she was in the middle of processing what had been read. They had created an AI one hundred years before the arrival of the Vulcans, one hundred years before Enterprise, one hundred years before Vulcan had attempted to prevent humanity from reaching the stars, and they had done the impossible.

"Katharine," said Malcolm quickly as realization seemed to slam into the Englishman at an alarming speed, "That's how she tracked it and figured out the puzzles, she's seen this kind of code before, which means she never forgot it." Archer blinked owlishly if that was true than Sentinel had been waiting an extraordinarily long time in order to play its hand. The brunet shook his head and smirked, "It groomed her, every mission, every decision, and those were controlled by an AI. It's been in control from the start." He shivered upon the realization that they were pieces on a very elaborate board, one which was in play with machines that could literally calculate billions of outcomes in the blink of an eye.

T'Pol shifted off to the side before asking, "Why would V'Las be working with Terra Prime and PRION?" That was a question that none of them had the answer for, as the AI wouldn't have planned for him, at least he didn't believe it could. It would be impossible for it to know all of the parties as well as individuals, it was limited to Earth. "I don't know, but we need to find out why, I don't think this is the end all, I think this is the beginning," he replied as he looked down at the page once again.

" _I'm leaving for Vulcan on urgent business, Ambassador Soval had been asked to return in order to speak with the High Command. I was right, Gardner is involved, as well as several other admirals after the collapse of GD, PRION moved in and now it is becoming clear who had orchestrated the string of events, as a majority of admirals and captains alike are enjoying the new technology and have been working on a new project, one that they refuse to announce._

_Gardner is the least of our issues, Sarah Prion is alive and well, she is currently partnered with Terra Prime. We still do not know the identify of the leader of the group, but after seeing Gardner messaging V'Las and overhearing the plan for Andoria, I must warn Soval so he may inform the rest._

_As a precaution I have sealed this journal in the safe, with letters and written out my final order to be activated once Katharine is a Major and the Ambassador returns to Earth for a long duration of time. He will keep her safe, he always has watched over her. She's all that remains of her mother and I know he will guard her zealously, not to mention he always asks after her and has taken to hearing recording of her play violin._

_I don't pretend to understand Vulcans but I do know that Soval is lonely and I hope he finds happiness again. Even if it with my daughter, she's free to choose and as long as they are happy, safe and live long lives I don't care._

_Good Luck Kate, I love you with all my heart and wish you the best."_

Admiral Gardner was behind it, which meant it wasn't only V'Las, but the former Minister had been involved in Terran issues long before anyone realized it. "Contact Soval and Shran, we need to tell them to watch out for Gardner," Archer commanded as he set the journal down as well as his glasses. He had to reach the Coalition of Planets before they did something they would regret, if he could get them to see Gardner and PRION were not only corrupt but working on a project that violates all forms of human rights it would be enough to snap the rest of Terra into line. He had to get to the Coalition, but the only way to do that was to sweep through Starfleet in order to obtain the entry codes. "Hoshi, I need you and Malcolm to head to Starfleet to obtain whatever it was Katharine found, she had to have dug up something," he mused. The pair nodded silently accepting the order, it was natural for him to assume the role as their Captain even on shore leave. He looked to Trip as he said, "Any idea how to get past the security and locate where ever Sentinel is?" The man shook his head, his brow furrowed in utter bewilderment as he replied, "I don't have a clue, Captain."

Archer sighed, he had hoped he would but understood the reality of the situation, this wasn't something people were trained for. "See what you can do, there has to be something, if Katharine could track the worm we should be able to find Sentinel," he instructed, hoping that the Engineer would at least be able to find a hint of the program that had created such chaos. If he couldn't this mission would go from difficult to nearly impossible. The Captain turned to the two Vulcans, "Can you get into the Consulate and tell Soval? Give him the journal if you have to, and make sure Forrest and Cole stay safe," he began only to be interrupted by a low rumble and the entire structure of his apparent shaking, the force throwing them backward as a cloud of dust erupted out of the skyline and fires engulfed a few buildings under the blazing rays of the morning sun.

Instantly Archer was staring out the window, his lips parted at the scene before him, a portion of San Francisco was on fire and he could hear sirens wailing as another bomb went off in the distance. The sound echoing in his head as he remembered the attacks in New York years ago, reading about them in a report was enough to give him an idea of just how much damage they could inflict. The captain turned to Sarek and said, "Take the journal to them, T'Pol and Trip, you're with me. We have to stop them." Chaos had erupted in the streets, he looked out the window as men and women fled portions of the city. The war had arrived, whether they were prepared or not. It looked as though the Titans themselves had decided to rip San Francisco apart.

His heart was pounding as he slipped into his flight jacket and grabbed a phaser that Malcolm had grabbed from the  _Enterprise_  while it was true the weapons were not to leave Starfleet in this moment there wasn't another option. They had to move if they were going to save not just their world but all the others of the Coalition. The Captain was assaulted by the scent of ash as it slammed into his senses, his eyes burned and his nose was filled with it. He could only imagine how the Vulcans behind him felt as they stepped out onto the streets. "Trip, go with Sarek, don't leave his side until that journal is in Soval's hands and he's within the Compound," he stipulated, he knew he was changing orders but Sarek was T'Pau's son, he wasn't about to have the equivalent of Vulcan Royalty slaughtered in a fire fight, "Give him a weapon," he added in haste before cuing T'Pol to follow him.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Shattered Made Whole](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10026908) by [einzell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/einzell/pseuds/einzell)




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